Wolves and Venom Do Not Mix
by Smile-J
Summary: Bella visits the Black's to try to get some answers. Billy spots the bite mark on her arm and gets Sam involved. Through talking with the Quileutes, Bella unearths a life changing realization: that the shimmering scar has more influence on her than she originally thought. BxJ (eventually)
1. Chapter 1

Wolves and Venom Do Not Mix

Bella visits the Black's to try to get some answers. Billy spots the bite mark on her arm and gets Sam involved. Through talking with the Quileutes, Bella unearths a life changing realization: that the shimmering scar has more influence on her than she originally thought.

BxJ (eventually)

Chapter 1

* * *

><p>Once again, I was back on the Black's front porch waiting for someone to come and talk to me. I desperately wanted some answers from these people, yet they kept shutting me out. After seeing Laurent in the meadow yesterday, well, it had left me shaken and reinforced my desires to talk to someone. Jacob had always been there for me in the past, and I don't want to believe that he had thrown me away… like they had.<p>

Suddenly I heard the door open and saw Billy sitting in his wheelchair watching me. I looked at him, my eyes already beginning to water. "Please, I really need to talk to someone, please Billy." I begged him.

He shook his head looking regretful as he reached to push the door closed. Instinctively, my arm shot out to hold it open. "Please, Billy, please." I tried again.

Billy kept quiet, but I saw the way his eyes widened as he took notice of my arm. Without me realizing it, he had opened the door even wider and grabbed a hold of my arm, pulling it close to his eyelevel. "Bella, what's this?" His hand reached for the scar. I shuddered as he brushed his thumb over the cool raised flesh.

My legs suddenly felt rubbery and jelly-like. I had to sit down. Billy must have realized this, since he guided me inside to the living room where he ushered me to sit down. I watched him then spin around to the kitchen to get me a cup of water.

Returning with the cup in hand, he spoke softly. "Bella, I know the Cullens are vampires." I sucked in a breath. My heart started to pound. Billy continued. "Bella, is that what I think it is?" He inquired, gesturing to my left arm. "And, if so, how are you still you?"

I sipped the water before meeting Billy's eyes. "It is what you think… it is a vampire bite. The Cullen's sucked out the venom from my system before it could spread." My voice started to waver as the memories of the night in Phoenix returned to me like a harsh wave colliding into a peer of jagged rocks. "A… nomadic vampire had bitten me... He wasn't related to the Cullens," I whispered the last part, not wanting Billy to think that a friend of the Cullens had bitten me.

Billy looked away, his brows furrowed. "Bella, can I call Old Quil? I have an idea but I would like his view on this…" he trailed off uncertainly.

I just nodded. "Go right ahead."

Billy smiled, nodded, and then left the room to make the call.

* * *

><p>Billy and I sat in silence as we waited for Old Quil to arrive. Soon enough, he was knocking on the door. Billy yelled "it's unlocked," and we watched as Old Quil entered, followed by Sam.<p>

Old Quil looked at Billy then turned to me. "Bella, may I see your hand?" He inquired softly.

"Um, alright," I murmured and got up from the chair, heading for him. When standing right before Old Quil, I rolled up my sleeve to let him see the scar better under the living room's fluorescent lights. I tried my best to not move—or cringe too much—when feeling his hands glide over the bite.

Soon, Old Quil looked up to meet Sam's gaze. "What do you think of this?"

I watched as Sam crossed his arms, a flicker of indecision passing through his darkly lit his eyes while an animalistic, almost feral look, crossed his face. "She is claimed," was all he hissed.

Billy nodded. "I was afraid that was the case."

Old Quil looked contemplative. "I think we can undo this, if Bella wants."

All eyes turned to me.

My head went about a hundred different directions at once. My heart was still pounding and I was sure they could hear it. Yet, I tried my best to ignore that and voiced my answer with as little hesitation that I could summon. "Undo it... if you can."

Old Quil nodded. "Bella, I must tell you though, that removing it won't be without more pain. Also, it will leave another scar."

I nodded. "That's fine."

An insidious thought then came to mind. I voiced it aloud. "Could this be why I coped so poorly when they left?"

Billy looked to Old Quil and Old Quil looked me in the eye. "From what I know of the supernatural, Bella, that is very likely."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, and robbed—no, violated in so many ways.

I looked at Old Quil and gasped out. "I-i need it removed. Please, tell me you can do it soon."

He nodded. "I need to collect some things for the ritual. Sam, bring her to the circle before sunset. Bella, we will do this for you today."

I managed to choke out a sob. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Billy sat with me the entire time after Old Quil and Sam had left the house. He held my head and murmured soft comforting words as I quietly sobbed. My mind was drowning with despair with the knowledge that the bite was a claim into the supernatural world; yet, my stomach couldn't stop churning over the notion that the Cullens had deserted me, fully aware of the consequences they were leaving behind… leaving for me to deal with alone. That, if anything, hurt the most.<p>

I was so lost in my thoughts that I wasn't fully aware of their departure or the passage of time until Sam's return. I stumbled next to Sam as he led me out of the house and through the woods. He was gentle, kind and patient with me. He even apologized. "I'm sorry I can't carry you or aid you more than just showing you the location. Old Quil told me it is important that you make the journey yourself."

At last I saw the flicker of flames through the trees. Old Quil sat before an open fire, chanting, as Sam led me to the bonfire. I sat down on the empty blanket that Sam directed me to. Before I could even cross my legs, Old Quil put a wooden bowl to my lips and tilted it, making me swallow all of the liquid he had simmering before my arrival. From what I could see, the liquid was brown and it tasted really, really bitter.

I started feeling lightheaded as the chanting continued. What felt like hours later but was only a few minutes, Old Quil had another bowl; this one had a paste in it. With semi-hazy vision, I felt him spread the paste over my arm, and heard him chanting softly in the background, though it was faint. My head started to pound; it made my vision even worse. Now I could only make out the faint outlines of my surroundings. The world started to get dizzy; I felt like I was going to fall over—no, I felt like I was going to barf. Yet, before anything occurred, I thought I could see the faint sketch of Old Quil raising something—was that a… knife?—before me. I tried to open my mouth, but nothing came out. Surprisingly, I didn't feel scared… if anything, I felt like I was being set free.

Freedom. What a beautiful word.

The red hot knife came closer to my arm. I felt it trace the cold scar on my arm. Pain was there but I was so disconnected from everything that I swore I felt nothing. I watched in morbid fascination as my arm soon split and flared like a firework about ready to be lit and take off into the starry sky.

…

Darkness then overcame me.

* * *

><p>AN

Many Thanks to my Beta, TriforceandSheikahArts. She took my words and made them shine.

:)-J


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

I had to be dreaming, since I could not fathom how this could be happening. With every millisecond that passed by my mind was replying every encounter I experienced with the Cullen clan. From that first moment I encountered those five unearthly "siblings" in the cafeteria to their sudden departure, I was revisiting everything, one by one. It was mindboggling how this was happening… especially when it somehow felt like the means of replaying my short life in the supernatural world were unearthing new experiences for me. It's hard to put in words, but this time around, when seeing it firsthand—and my own interactions—being played back, I'm able to recall details and events that I hadn't consciously considered at the time.

Like, for instance, I recalled smelling a strong vampire scent in my room before _he_ had ever spoken to me. I could also recount each time I had been "dazzled" and experienced a cumulative sense of loss each time I was around _him. _When thinking about it now, it seems like my time with _them _had so overwhelming and intense. _He, _in particular, and the memory of _him _abandoning me in the forest outside of my home was tugging at my heart in ways I could not describe. Just remembering now, in my dreams, the sense of desolation and failure I endured after that departure made my insides throb. It was all so consuming I couldn't even remember any positive emotions existed without _him_.

Whereas **He**, my Jacob, had managed to restore some sense of worth in my life, it seemed to have been enough to bring me back to life. Jacob, my werewolf friend, had become a beacon of light in the darkness that surrounded me, and he provided me with the hope and ambition I required to claw my way out of the morass that _they _had created.

The memories soon continued to pass through me. I recounted Laurent's attack in the meadow, and the sensation of fear and death I remembering feeling engulf me. I also remember asking if Jake had been one of those wolves that chased him off. For some reason, that memory felt extra doubtful, but it seemed like my subconscious wouldn't allow me to think of it anymore, since it seemed like the darkness that had been shrouding me was slowly fading.

I could hear Old Quil's chants getting louder… I could also feel my ligaments—my arm especially—throbbing. I took that as a good sign.

Slowly but surely, I could feel my eyelids opening. I could barely discern my surroundings. I tried to swallow but it felt like I had an entire bucket of dried sand in my mouth… it was so dry. I was so thirsty, and so tired. I tried to snuggle deeper under the covers—wait, how did I end up under these blankets? I wanted to think it over some more, but when hearing a familiar voice I zoned back into reality fully.

"Bella, are you awake?" Charlie's concerned voice asked by my ear.

I tried answer, but it came out as a hoarse whisper. I could hear Charlie reaching for what sounded to be a jug of water. When hearing the sound of his breathing close by, I propped myself up to obtain a small transparent glass he thrust before my face. I nodded and reached for it, gulping it down quicker than I anticipated I would.

"Bells, you're in the hospital," he spoke calmly, softly. "You fell near a bonfire when you were down on the Reservation on Sunday night. Somehow, I don't know how, you had managed to get something caught on your arm since your entire sleeve had caught fire." He stopped to pause for a minute. "You suffered a bad burn on your arm and lost consciousness. They treated you down there at the Quileute medical centre, but when you didn't wake they bought you up here early Monday morning. It's now Friday, Bells. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with you, they kept saying you were just sleeping but it's been days. I called Renee but she can't come… some excuse about Phil." He rolled his eyes at the last part which made me smile.

I tried to speak. "Sorry for worrying you, Dad. I think I need to try something to improve my clumsiness. Do you have any ideas?" I got the words out but my voice still croaked.

The relief and hope in his voice spoke indescribable volumes to me as he told me all of the different self-defense, martial arts, and various other exercises he had researched while I had been unconscious for the last few days.

I smiled. "Thanks for doing all of that research, Dad. How about I try a few and see how they turn out? I'll go further afield if I can't get on with any of the local stuff."

Charlie had an all out smile plastered to his face. "That's sounds sensible… I'm just happy that you're okay now."

A nurse came in causing us to end our conversation. She had done a quick check on me, inquired on my bodily pains and then asked if I wanted some food. The growling of my stomach echoed my affirmative response. She left laughing, promising to return with some buttered toast.

Charlie sat in the hospital chair beside my bed, holding my hand the entire time until the nurse returned with my food. The toast smelled heavenly, reminding me about just how hungry I really was.

Charlie stood up. "I need to make some calls, Bells. Lots of people have been wondering when you'd wake up. I think it'll be good to let them know now; what do you think?"

"Sounds good," I mumbled while digging into my toast. I swear food had never tasted so good.

"Alright." Akin to the nurse, Charlie left the room laughing.

-o0o0o-

The morning dragged by as doctors and nurses came and went. Eventually I got the all clear to head home. I felt lighter than I had in months when Charlie turned down that all too familiar street, and pulled up to that all too familiar two story white house. Rather clumsily, he then helped me into the house and aided in setting me down on the sofa before going into the kitchen to use the phone and call the local diner to order some takeout.

Charlie opted to have it delivered. Within an hour, the delivery boy—a student from the high school—was at our doorstep with the food. I could smell it all the way from the kitchen, and watched with hungry eyes as Charlie paid the boy and brought the food to the kitchen. Before he could even unwrap them, I tore my hamburger apart, polishing it off in minutes. Charlie was shocked, but I was too hungry and happy to care. It felt great to get some food in my stomach. Plus, it felt so nice to eat, to want to eat.

While Charlie was still eating, I went upstairs to change my clothes. _Bless him, _I thought happily. Charlie had been considerate enough to bring a change of clothes for me to wear. However, I couldn't tolerate these clothes, since they were a bit too flashy and colourful for my liking. _Alice_ had chosen them for me; since there was no way I would buy a forest green cashmere sweater and light wash blue sky jeans for me. I much prefer comfort and casual over stylish and girly.

_Bleh._

When entering my room, I was overcome by a rather luscious scent that had nearly knocked me off my feet. It was quite intense and had my stomach quickly doing back flips and roundabouts. I had to get out. I rushed down the stairs in a frenzy, surprising Charlie, who had just finished washing his plate.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He looked panic-stricken.

I leaned against the railing for support, breathing in through my mouth. "M-My room," I mumbled. "It smells… _funny_… Its making my head hurt."

"Isn't that smell from an air freshener?" He inquired while scratching his head. "I thought you had brought one with you, or bought one recently after coming here."

"Uh…" I wasn't sure how to answer that question, so I tried to stall by asking him more questions regarding the peculiar scent. He didn't seem off thrown by my questions, and calmly told me that roughly a month after my arrival, he had noticed the scent, and slowly gotten used to it... expanding within the depths of my room.

"It's a bit… **sweet**, for me; but hey, if that's women wear nowadays, then I'm okay with it."

While his words were endearing, I decided to let him believe that the supposed scent was from an air fresher. Since I was a pretty bad liar, I never openly called it an air freshener, but did say that the scent no longer agreed with me, and that I wanted a change.

"Dad, do you think that we can maybe empty out my room a bit. I think it might make me feel a bit better if the space got a bit of a cleaning." Thorough cleaning mind you, but I didn't say that thought aloud.

"Sure, Bells. That sounds like a good idea."

So, with the help of my Dad, we stripped the room to its bare contents.

-o0o0o-

Angela arrived about an hour later, but called beforehand saying that she wanted to visit when hearing that I had safely arrived home. She offered to stay for a while and spent the rest of the afternoon helping me wash every article of clothing and material that could fit inside of the washing machine. We also dusted and wiped down every hard surface with vinegar, and sprayed everything else with febreze.

Throughout the process of cleaning though, Angela had somehow managed to trip over a loose floorboard. I had to hold back my laughter when Charlie shouted up in an alarmed voice. "Are you alright, Bella?"

I shouted back. "It wasn't me. It was Angela, Dad, and she's fine!"

Angela also laughed. "I'm fine, Mr. Swan." She shouted in an attempt to further pacify his concerned nerves.

"I can't believe I tripped over that," Angela murmured, bending down to investigate the supposed hazard. She started to fiddle with it before realizing something. "Hey, it's loose." With a little bit of help, we both managed to remove the floorboard with relative ease.

"Oh, goodness…" What we found inside made anger ripe straight through me since hidden within the depths of the floorboard were all of things Edward had taken from me. My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it. Again, my stomach started to churn and I felt my face begin to pale. Angela noticed my sudden change and asked what was wrong. Helping me to sit down on the floor, she shut the door—as per my request—and listened as I explained that the items were the very things I had originally assumed that Edward had taken with him when he left Forks.

"I can't believe they were here the entire time!" I fumed indignantly.

"Neither can I," Angela mused.

Whether out of sheer rage or frustration, I felt dead set on destroying the contents lying before me. "I think I'll just burn them!" I dead set on going through with it, but Angela had managed to talk me out of burning everything but the first class plane tickets to visit my mother. Since they were good for a few months.

"Angela, that sounds good." Together, we stuffed the items into a small bag and left my room heading for the backyard. While Angela and I explained to Charlie that we were going to have a small fire he openly asked us why. My face flushed red, and before I could stammer a lousy excuse, Angela vouched for me.

"Bella and I want to have a ritual cleansing. A bit of a… female detox, I guess you could call it."

Charlie looked beyond lost, and looked all too excited at the prospect of ending the conversation. "Well, um, go right ahead with that… detox stuff." We chuckled and watched him head for the fridge to grab a beer before heading for the living room to watch some kind of sports game. Football, I think it was… or maybe baseball. Nonetheless, he had given us the clear for the small fire, which is what we wanted.

So, together Angela and I had lit a small fire in the backyard. When the fire was large enough, one by one I tossed the photos and other paraphernalia into the open flames. It felt good watching them burn. It had also provided me with a chance to say goodbye on my terms. It felt so cathartic to watch the flames and then throw the ashes in the bin once it was done. At last I felt ready to move on.

Overall, the fire had taken a little over an hour to complete. When we went inside, Charlie had surprised us with hot chocolate. The three of us sat at the table and chatted. In the midst of conversing, Charlie had somehow managed to bring up the issue of my clumsiness and the idea to take some classes to try and reduce it.

Angela nodded and turned to me. "My Dad wants me to do a self-defense class before going to University, and Mom is determined to get me to take a few dance classes." She sighed. "I don't see how dance classes are an important life skill, but she has been nagging me about them for months." She looked me straight in the eye. "Bella, if I were to try some classes, would you be willing to do them with me?"

I've never seen Charlie with such a broad grin on his face as I replied. "Angela, I'll sign up with you, but you have seen me in gym class, so you might be taking you life in your own hands there."

Angela laughed. "It's a risk I'm willing to take. I'm just happy I won't have to do them alone."

I shook my head. "On your head it will be!"

Charlie and Angela only laughed at my response.

The rest of the day had passed by in a blur. Before I knew it, it was dark and I was exhausted. While my room still stunk of vinegar, I had somehow managed to fall asleep. And, for once in what seemed like forever, I had a restful night's sleep.

* * *

><p>AN

The amazing TriforceandSheikahArts strikes again. In her words 'I got a little bit carried away (as you can see by the length). The chapter had good backbones but needed to be fleshed out a lot to flow better. I guess you can see that from what I've done'

The work she put in is fantastic – Thank you so much!

:)-J


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Charlie was waiting at the table with cereal and toast for me as I trudged downstairs. I tucked into a good sized breakfast. It was from there that I learned today's plans; we were heading down to the Quileute Reservation—or, the Rez as it's called by most people living on the Reservation.

Charlie had given me ample time to get dressed and wash up before our departure. It was pretty quiet between us as we drove down to the Rez in his police car—his choice of vehicle, not mine—and it was there that he solidified the day's agenda.

"Bells, I'm dropping you off at Old Quil's. He treated your burn and wants to check on it. He's even offered for his Grandson Quil to take you back to Billy's when you're ready." Charlie stopped the car before Old Quil's house. "I'm going fishing with Harry Clearwater. I'll let Billy know if the plans change."

"Uh, sure, Dad," I nodded, feeling my stomach churn. I wanted to see Old Quil and find out what happened but I was nervous at the same time. I climbed out of the vehicle and slowly walked up the house steps. With a single knock the door was opened by Joy, who informed me to head into the first floor study situated just beyond the kitchen. I waved goodbye to Charlie before entering the house, following behind Joy.

When we neared the study, Old Quil looked at me as I walked into his room, "Take a seat child. We have much to discuss." He informed me with a smile. He then waited until Joy had shut the door and her footsteps echoed away.

While waiting he inspected me. "First, I think an apology is in order, Bella. Many of us have judged you for befriending the vampires and dating one of them. It is ingrained in us to hate them." I nodded, wanting him to continue. "During the cleansing ritual, we learned the truth of your involvement. I don't believe you were aware of how manipulated you truly were. Let me tell you how the ritual progressed and explain what we found." He paused for a moment to catch his breath. "After I burned the venom from the scar, the ritual made it clear that that was only part of the problem. I needed to delve deeper. I threw some more herbs into the fire. They acted with the drink you had taken. You had then told me of all of your experiences with the cold ones, the vampires."

I nodded, barely able to recall the event clearly. "I thought that was a dream but it felt more like someone was telling the story." I bit my bottom lip, sucking on it briefly before continuing, "I imagine I must have told you many more things than I was aware of at the time."

Old Quil nodded and smiled. "Yes. I was very impressed with the level of detail you recalled. The ritual really does bring out the greater truth. The vampires had, in your words, Bella, "dazzled" you, which blinded you in many ways. You also mentioned that the redhead read minds but he couldn't read you, which I think also helped to protect your memories."

I quickly put two and two together, "The dazzling had more effects than I knew."

Old Quil nodded. "I think they used it control and manipulate you. I think that's the reason you were drawn into their web of deceit. His words to you about being the ultimate predator were honest—as far as it went. I think their scent and that "dazzling" worked together as long-term mind control."

When he said scent I put my hand to my mouth. As soon as he stopped speaking I blurted out, "When I got home yesterday, I went up to my room and found a bad smell in there. It had me feeling pretty nauseous, since it was too sweet and cloying." I licked my lips. "A friend helped me wash and clean everything. Charlie noticed the smell about a month after I arrived here from Phoenix… I think the scent belong to… _him._"

He shook his head. "I'm happy you're now hyper aware of their smell, the ritual worked well. Immersion in their scent would have made you more susceptible to them. It appears to be a more premeditated plan than we initially determined. I need to inform the wolves." He walked to the nearest window and stared out into the green backyard. "During the ritual, I had to perform a far deeper cleansing than I have ever done. The result was the length of time you slept. We kept most of it from Charlie but, well, I hope the cover story didn't cause you too many problems."

I laughed. "The cover story was ideal. No one doubts that I'm clumsy. Charlie kept himself busy while I was in the hospital by researching classes that may help me reduce my inability to stay on my feet." I started to feel my cheeks turn red. "It's worked out well; one of the genuine people in Forks is going to come with me for the classes. Her parents want her to do some classes so it kills two birds with one stone. Plus," I added my voice lowering, "I never really got the chance to make friends before I got caught up the Cullens. When I got closer to them, I more or less shut everyone else out… It'll be nice to have a chance to make a true friend from the rubble their departure caused."

Old Quil smiled. "That is a good attitude to have. Do you remember all the details you recounted?"

My first thought was just to answer 'yes', then I realized what he was really asking, "You mean do I remember realizing Jake and the others turn into giant wolves?" He nodded. I grinned. "Yes, I'm grateful they do. They saved my life. I am also aware that keeping it all secret is of utmost importance."

He smiled and nodded. "Bella, how are you now? Do you still have the daredevil urges?"

I took the time to think before I answered him, "I feel free. Looking back on it now, I think I was caged, constrained, a puppet with its strings cut. The daredevil stuff was attempts to feel anything apart from heartache and misery. I think I was trying to escape but I didn't even realize I was caged. I lost myself. I didn't even know the person I'd become. I'd been shaped into someone I didn't even know. It scares me how they impacted every facet of my life. I'd lost my entire personality. They think I'm just like Renee, flaky and flighty."

He let me rant, and then reassured me, "You are back now, and you can prove to everyone that you take after your Dad, not Renee. Those that matter know you raised your Mother. You never had the chance to show others around here the truth of the matter before the vampires started to manipulate you. The wolves and elders all know the truth of what you have endured. Bella, we are here for you now. It also sounds like those from Forks never got a chance to know the real you. You can give them that chance with the advantage of knowing them in advance. Now, let me check your arm."

I asked him to confirm. "Sam and his friends are wolves, right? Did Jacob join them after he had taken me to the cinema sometime ago?"

He met my eyes. "Yes Child. He should never have told you the legends. Protecting the secret is vital to our survival. I think you, more than most, are aware of the risks."

I nodded as I recalled Edward telling me of the Volturi. Secrecy is a must for my survival. I remember telling him and Sam about them during the ritual. I know now it was real, not a dream.

As he continued to remove the dressing he chatted about his grandson. "Quil is showing all the signs of phasing. I think he will be next to join his friends. He will be so happy to have them back. It is a great honour but it comes at a great cost. I think Quil will embrace the positives."

Happy not to have the spot light on me, I started asking questions. "Why hasn't he been told if you know it's coming soon? Wouldn't it make it easier for him if he was forewarned?"

Old Quil took his time to answer. "Bella, the secrecy is paramount. The treaty demands it," he paused then spoke softly, "I am questioning the validity of our reasoning in light of their treatment of you and the bigger picture. We are aware of the signs but …" Again he paused, then spoke in a firm voice, "We think it is the odour of the vampire that starts the change. It causes them to act more volatile. A rush of adrenaline prompts the boys to phase. They need keeping away from others as their enhanced emotions and senses in the early stages make phasing difficult to control."

I nodded as I took in the new information, "I know the shock of learning that the supernatural exists. To learn it's all true messes with your mind. Plus, to be conscripted to the front lines of a war as a giant wolf must be very hard to deal with. If it messes up their moods on top of it, well, we women get bad enough with P.M.S.! A little knowledge can go a long way in reducing fear and overreactions. How do you ensure the secret is kept hidden, and that the safety of others during their first change if they are unaware?"

Old Quil looked at me, "Your eyes pierce a veil that many miss altogether."

He turned his attention to removing the last layer of bandages on my arm. The scar itself still looked white, but without the shimmer of venom it once possessed. It now looked whiter, kind of like dried white chicken—bad comparison, I know. My arm was red and blistered all around the original scar but as I told him, "It's not as bad as I expected."

He looked embarrassed. "It burned far hotter than I expected. I think it might have been towards 1000 degrees Fahrenheit at the scar. I have treatments that can aid in healing. I confirmed with the specialist at the hospital that they won't interact negatively with their treatment regime. I will send some with you and instructions on how to use it when you head home." He then leaned over and spoke softer. "Bella, I will expect to see you at least once a week until it has healed."

He dressed it all again for me as he gave me my orders for today. "Joy is making lunch for you. Quil is in the front room playing his video games. I expect you to sit down and take it steady. Quil will take you over to Jake's later this afternoon. I've informed everyone else of the plans. Make sure you stay hydrated, Bella, it's important with a burn like that."

I had that lecture at the hospital along with detailed instructions of what I could and could not do. Once Old Quil had finished, I merely nodded, thanked him and was dismissed to joining Quil. I found him in the living room and quietly knocked on the door, "Hey, Quil, sorry for getting you stuck on babysitting duty."

He was sat in the middle of the sofa in front of the television. He laughed at me but it was half-hearted. "I thought I had leprosy or something with how everyone avoiding me. It'll be nice to have some company, Bella… that is, if you want to be here…" he trailed off, uncertain.

I smiled at him. "I'm grateful for the company. Now shove over and let me know if you have the patience to teach me how to play one of these games."

The ice was officially broken. He had me playing some shooting game. He went on about load outs or something, but I couldn't really absorb it. In the end, I got shot frequently but he found it amusing. I did get the hang of it, to a point, before Joy called us to eat.

I watched as Quil ate like a wolf. I glanced at Joy; she gave me a tiny nod. She knew too. I could see the worry and fear in her eyes now that I was looking for it. Joy wouldn't hear of me helping her. Quil offered reluctantly, I think he only offered since I made him feel guilty but Joy laughed him off too. We were sent out of her kitchen like small children and told, "Go play."

It turned out that Quil had loads of different games. We ended up trying most of them. And just as I started to get a hang of what I was supposed to be doing, Quil changed it for a new game.

The phone rang but it was quickly answered. It bought an end to our "play time," in Joy's words!

Billy phoned to ask where I was. Oops, we had lost track of time and I was late.

It wasn't far to Billy's from Quil's home, but I'm not supposed to get my arm wet. The weather here ensures that outside is not a good place to stick to those rules. Thus, it resulted in Quil having to drive me over to the Black's home. The drive took less than five minutes. Before I got out of the car however, I turned to Quil and said, "I know my company was forced on you today but I really enjoyed myself. Can we hang out again?"

Quil smiled. "I had fun too. That would be nice."

We exchanged contact details as I explained, "Old Quil informed me that I have to go and see him at least once a week until this burn is healed, so I might be kicking about anyway."

I could see the shock and questions in his eyes but Billy was now waiting at the door, "Looks like our time is up. See you later, Quil."

Quil nodded, but waited until I had grabbed my bag and walked up the Black's front door before driving off. I waved, frowning, when seeing the hurt that lined his face at the prospect that I was welcome at his friends' house but he wasn't.

When entering the house, I made a point of informing Billy about just how much this was affecting Quil. Billy kept quiet throughout and smiled when I had finished. "Bella, I'd forgotten just how forthright you can be when you feel strongly about something. We should've known when you became so meek and mild that something was wrong, but it's been too long since we have seen you properly." He led me into the living room. "Old Quil has already spoken to me about the points you've raised. We'll be sure to use them when discussing our approach for the future. For now though, let's just start with getting reacquainted. I miss that little mischief-maker that showed my son how to get back at his twin sisters all those years ago."

We sat and reminisced. Billy would start talking about some prank Jacob had pulled on his sisters, my eyes would go wide as I remembered either telling or showing Jake just how to go about pulling the prank. Rachel and Rebecca used to tease him unmercifully. I decided it wasn't fair and gave him the ammunition and ambition to fight back. That definitely brought back some good laughs for both of us.

Soon after, Charlie walked in. He looked surprised until Billy reminded him about the time Jacob rewired the fans on the twins' hair-dryers making them suck in air instead of blowing it out. Years before, when Billy had heard their screaming, he had rushed in to see their hair all tangled inside the dryers. Jake had disconnected the heating element so their hair was just tangled and not burnt. The girls were furious but as Billy told them Jake had only started doing things like that in retaliation for all of the things they had done to him.

Charlie laughed, "They never did learn, did they. They tortured Jacob in some form or other every day until they left for University."

Charlie decided it was time to head home. I was surprised when he started talking, telling me about his day. Harry spent most of the time complaining about the 'Rabbit food' diet he had been advised to follow by his doctor. Charlie shook his head as he told me the Harry was acting like a child sneaking treats as soon as Sue's back was turned.

I followed Charlie's lead and told him a supernatural free version of my time at Old Quil's. Charlie had a good laugh at my expense when I told him how bad I'd been at playing Quil's games. I finished telling him how much I'd enjoyed the little social afternoon. It felt really nice that Charlie was making such an effort to talk to me. I always knew he cared about me but it was really good to actually talk.

When we got home, he shocked me again. Instead of putting the television on, he came into the kitchen and told me to put him to work. Together we made a stir fry. Charlie followed the directions I gave him well, and ended up doing most of the preparation work for me. It was a nice change. Though, I think part of the reason behind this was my recent trip to the hospital had really scared him. This time around, he was making a huge effort to spending more time with me.

When we had finished cooking and eating, we had settled down to watch some television together. Charlie had asked what I wanted to watch, but I took a leaf from his book and told him to put his sports on. We sat and watched together as I got him to explain to me the point of grown men running after a ball.

That night set the tone from then for the idea of me to get to know my Dad better. It had only been one evening thus far, but I was really enjoying it, and looked forward to getting to know him better.

* * *

><p>AN

Thanks to my Beta, TriforceandSheikahArts. She keeps working hard to make my words flow better!

:)-J


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

School is a killer. I'd been so zoned out beforehand that I only had a vague memory of the material. I really needed to hit the books… And boy, did I ever hit them hard. Honestly, I am quite impressed with myself that I (somehow) managed to catch up in any shape or form. As much as I originally intended on making friends at school, it never really happened. While I had become more social in contrast from my high school life back in Phoenix, I still always felt like an outsider—with the exception of my friendship to Angela.

Now I spent almost all of my time trying to come to terms with everything that had happened to me. They say hindsight is twenty-twenty. I realised I had grown used to taking the path of least resistance with Renee. Just keeping her from doing something too extreme I counted as a win. I spent my time keeping her in-line and none on myself. I sat and read books at home so I would be there to moderate her next zany idea. As Phil worked his way into her life, I used my free time to get ahead with schoolwork in preparation for the next "insane Renee plan." I had felt so guilty about not being there for Renee but I knew she was happier with Phil. I shouldn't have been put in the position that I felt responsible for her. After all, she is my _mother_ and I'm her _daughter._

When leaving her behind in Phoenix to come to Forks, I had quickly realized that I had fallen into the same rut. I started looking after Charlie without ever asking what he wanted or needed. At school I was civil but kept my head down just as I had learned to do in Phoenix. However, there had been one miscalculation… Edward Cullen. He had become a conundrum to me. I got sucked into solving the mystery that surrounded him; but by the time I knew enough I was in too deep. Finding out from Old Quil that I was just a fly in a trap _they_ had prepared makes the bile rise up in my throat. Although there exists a part in me that wants to see the best in _them_ it's barely a whisper in the screams of anger and indignation that surround it. I wanted to put all the blame on vampire allure—their overall perfection—but I need to take responsibility for myself. I wanted to be wanted, to have someone look after me for a change. I didn't realize until now how selfish and shallow my thoughts and actions had been. I might have been drawn in by their allure, but I rushed into it with open eyes… eyes full of naivety and inexperience.

Throughout the passing weeks, Old Quil continued to treat my burn until it had completely healed. He even gave me a new set of herbs and pastes to keep to help reduce the scarring. That made me happy, but I was also pretty sad at the prospect of not being able to spend too much time with Quil anymore. We had gotten closer throughout the weeks, and not being able to see him as much as I had before kind of saddened me. But then again, he had started to show signs of phasing, so keeping my distance from him was for the best—for both of us actually. But we still chatted on the phone occasionally, so I guess it's all good. Right now though, I'm just enjoying being a normal, supernatural free girl. It's such a nice change. I go with Charlie to the Black's and spend time with Jacob sometimes. Other then that I think I purposely stay away to give me a chance to come to terms with it all. The mental healing took far longer than the physical healing.

I started to take the time to decide what I wanted from life and take responsibility for my actions. Also, Angela and I threw ourselves into the self-defence and dance classes. I've never been as tired as I am after each class. But personally, I don't really think they're helping to combat my clumsiness. I'm still falling and hurting myself… but maybe not as much as before. In comparison, however, the self-defence classes have been teaching me how to fall! I've fallen more times in that class then I can remember, but at least I don't hurt myself as much with poor landings.

I still get asked out on dates on a seemingly weekly basis but I need to heal before I consider letting anyone else in. After school once, Angela kindly pointed out to me that I need to be more forceful when letting them down. They think I couldn't go out with them on that occasion but would consider another time in the future to work better. Keeping her advice in mind, I decided to be more upfront by telling them I wasn't ready to date, but they didn't seem to take the hint… Mike especially won't learn. It feels like kicking a puppy each time I let him down, but I think that's part of his ploy, just in the hope that I'll once give into him. Because of that, I think Jessica would be easier to befriend if Mike would back off. Heck, Lauren still holds a grudge with me for dating Edward. She even takes it as a personal affront each time someone looks at me and not her, asks me out instead of her and so forth. I thought it was just me but she treats Jessica and Angela the same way.

A sad thing happened just recently. Remember before how Charlie mentioned to me how Harry was snacking behind Sue's back when they went fishing together? Well, it turns out that Harry's new diet wasn't just a fad, it was necessary for him to stay alive. His doctors advised him to change his eating habits, but he didn't take much notice of it… Soon enough, he had a heart attack and he didn't make it. Everyone at the Rez—Charlie and me included—was devastated. During the week of his funeral, there were a lot of visits down to La Push that also included me cooking a lot at home and at Billy's house.

The loss hit Charlie harder than it did me; it was too close to home. Right after the burial, he decided that he wanted to change his diet. I had to talk him down a bit, and helped him realise he was eating a pretty reasonable diet when he was at home. It was frequent trips to the local diner and his snacking at work though that he need to cut back on. After the discussion, between the two of us, we came up with healthier alternatives. He mentioned to me how he already worked out at the Forks Gym, but he wanted to do more. We started running together. I had a fair few trips but not too many injuries. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was better to run in jogging pants, a long sleeve top and a pair of gloves. After all, I'd rather rip a hole in fabric instead of skin.

Overall, I had come to realize something; recently, I had been spending a lot more time down on the Reservation. Like before, Charlie went fishing with his friends, but also went down there to check in on Sue, Harry's wife, to make sure she was doing alright. In the meanwhile, I spent most of my time with Jake, who was more or less monopolizing my time. If possible, it also seemed like Jake had become even handier than before. He loved telling me stories of him repairing things around the house, and working on his car when he had the time—being a member of the Pack kept him pretty busy yet he still somehow found the time to see me.

But that brings me to another important point: Jake doesn't like to share. I've seen him put off his friends if he thinks he can spend time with me. I try to encourage group things but it never works out as I hope. Jacob just keeps pushing and pushing for me to date him. Charlie and Billy threw in their own pressure that we made a good couple. I told them both until I was blue in the face that I'm not ready to date anyone, yet but all I got them from them were "you don't know if you don't try" and "just go out and have some fun" looks.

After enough time had passed, I relented and went on a date with Jake. Billy and Charlie were overjoyed to find out. Our first date was to the movies and that turned out to become a regular occurrence until Victoria showed up. Oh joy.

Victoria's return put pressure on everyone in the supernatural know. I agreed to spend as much time as I could down on the Rez to make the wolves' job marginally easier. I spent my time in the Black's house. When Jake came home we went as far as the garage. I spent my time in there fending off his wandering hands and his hot dry lips but slobbery kisses. I keep telling him I'm not ready so he backs off for a while. I also helped Billy while Jake was out patrolling and protecting me from Victoria. I ended up doing all of the housekeeping and all the cooking for them. Billy always makes sure to complement me on the meals I prepared. Charlie also comes down when he wasn't on duty. With the murders starting to take up more and more of Charlie's time, he covered not only more hours in Forks but also travelled to help out in other neighbouring areas. He asked Billy if he could keep an eye on me while he was away. Hence yet more time on the Rez!

Graduation came and went. It was sometime before graduation when Jacob stopped pushing me so hard for more intimacy. To be honest it came as a relief. I asked to break up with him but he gave me a guilt trip to stay with him with all his talk of keeping me safe from the leech, and how we would have more time as soon as they caught her.

I didn't see any of the wolves; they were all too busy patrolling, eating, or sleeping. My entire life now revolves around cooking and cleaning for the Blacks and Charlie. I quickly stated to miss the courses I took with Angela but they finished when school ended for the year.

I thought things were going well, but after graduation the loneliness I am now experiencing are starting to grate at me beyond compare. I don't want to make the wolves more work with a deranged vampire on the doorstep so I put up and shut up… no matter how much I want to yell in rebuttal.

* * *

><p>AN

Thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts. Her help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed, followed, and favorited. Your support means a lot!

:)-J


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

I sat under the trees that were situated away from the beach. I found it to be a comfortable place to sit even if my view was obscured. A fresh sea breeze blew the hair from my face as I listened to the sound of the waves crashing into the rocks. I had my copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ open in my lap but I couldn't concentrate on reading, no matter how hard I tried. My mind was too busy recounting the past year. This time last year I spent all of my time with Edward and his family. I thought of them as my family and Edward as my soul mate. Oh how wrong I was. It still stings to know how one-sided that relationship was.

In contrast to Edward overall, Jacob, my saviour, is my sun. He has singlehandedly managed to help me climb out of the black hole I had sunk into after the Cullens left. I really wish I could be the person he needs, but he just doesn't evoke those feelings of desire in me no matter how I tried to let him become that to me. I want to go back to just friends but he won't hear of it.

Suddenly, I heard voices getting closer. I sank lower into the ground just wanting to get some alone time to straighten out my thoughts. I shrank back further; it was some of the pack. I don't see much of them nowadays since Jake likes to keep me to himself. On the rare occasions I have seen them, Paul and Leah do nothing but insult me. The rest, well, them being civil is the best I can hope for sadly. I listened as they walked onto the beach, the breeze carrying their words to me.

"It's fucking wrong," Embry growled out.

Jared kicked a random stone into the water. "I can't believe them. Treating her like a slave and hiding the fact that he has imprinted is just wrong. I wish he hadn't put the damned Alpha order on us to stop us from telling her... Hell, the _leeches_ treated her better then we are now."

Embry nodded. "I wish I could help her escape from the Black's thumb. Jacob put a stop to that though when he took over as Alpha, just to control us... To stop us from fucking up his gravy train."

Jared shook his head in agreement. "First we get ordered not to tell her about imprinting since she isn't pack member, but in reality he just used that to try to date her." He growled in disgust. "He tells her he's out on patrol when he's really up in that cabin fucking his imprint. That Helen is a serious piece of work. Heck, it's her that told Jake to keep her around just so she doesn't get roped into lift a finger to do anything for Billy." His voice trailed off. "I heard them laughing at how he manipulated her into looking after Billy and doing all the housework and cooking for them. I lost any respect I had for Billy after that. He knows exactly what's going off and yet he allows it. _We_ may be ordered not to tell anyone but _he_ easily could."

Embry clenched his fists. "Just thinking about it makes me want to phase. Hell, he won't even let us talk to her. He's keeping her isolated. Paul and Leah are livid. Leah knows only too well what it's like to be on the wrong side of an imprint. They were trying to scare her away from him with their anger but hell, did you see her face, and they just hurt her feelings even more."

Jared spat out. "He takes over as Alpha then leaves us to do all the work. I can't even remember the last time he did a patrol; he's too busy fucking Helen."

Their distance took them out of my hearing range. I sat there shaking. I didn't want to believe their words, but I knew in my heart that it was true. I hadn't heard the term "imprint" before but thinking of the stories about what happened to Leah, Sam and Emily it made too much sense.

* * *

><p>I don't know how much time passed until my legs had enough strength to carry me back to my truck. I didn't trust Jacob to try to force me to stay. I wasn't sure that Charlie would believe me since Jacob can do no wrong in his eyes. I only have Angela here but she is no match for a wolf or a vampire. Edward had monopolized all my time then Jake and Billy took over. I tried to spend more time with Charlie but he's always off with someone else. I stayed down here thinking it was for my safety. I cursed my stupidity but looking back on it now, the only thing I should have done is stuck to my guns and not agreed to date Jake at all.<p>

I drove home feeling numb—no, correction, I was numb. I felt exactly the way I had after Edward first left. However, this time there was a difference. This time I would be taking a stand. I would be the bigger person and make the correct decision. For the sake of my sanity I needed to get out of here. I needed to leave Forks.

When I got home, I noticed Charlie's cruiser wasn't parked in the driveway. Perfect. That would make this move even easier. Getting out, I unlocked the door and walked inside the house. Not bothering to slide off my shoes, I ran upstairs and into my bedroom. Without thinking I thrust my closet doors open, grabbed the nearest suitcases and boxes from the higher shelves and started to toss random items inside. When I had enough clothes to sustain me, I quickly packed away some other items I wanted to bring with me. Finished with that, I made a quick trip to the washroom to pack up any toiletries and other miscellaneous items I wanted. In a matter of minutes I had finished, and was lugging the baggage downstairs. To be on the safe side I decided to deposit the items in my car before coming back inside to write Charlie a goodbye note.

It hurt just thinking about leaving him, but I knew I had to. I wished I could say goodbye but he might try to stop me, and I don't want to risk that.

I found a sheet of paper in the printer tray.

_Dad,_

_I have just found out that Jacob has been cheating on me. Apparently, it has been going on for a while now. They all knew down in La Push but they covered for him since they wanted the free labour - me. I also found out he has threatened some people down there so they wouldn't tell me. Billy also knew but he wanted to keep a free housekeeper._

_I need some space. I'm so hurt by this. I know I should say goodbye to your face but I just need to get away for now. I love you so much. I'm so sorry I put you through so much with my poor choices in boyfriends._

_Thank you everything you have done for me. Words cannot express how lucky I am to have a father as wonderful as you._

_I'm sorry about only leaving you this note, but I need to get away. I just need some time and distance from everything._

_Love, Bella_

The letter was waffling but there is no point in trying to write it again, since I would be here all day trying to get it right. I left the note on the kitchen table knowing he would see it when he came in. With one last look around the house, I exhaled a small sigh and pulled the house keys off the ring and left them overtop of the letter. I dragged myself to the front door, slung on my coat and locked up using the spare key. Then I walked over to my car and drove out of town.

* * *

><p>AN

With the amazing help of TriforceandSheikahArts, another chapter.

:)-J


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

Initially I just drove, but after a couple of hours I pulled over and called Angela, my voice of reason. While we haven't seen each other as much as we would have liked to since graduation, we still talk regularly. She is as up-to-date as a human can be without knowledge of the supernatural. She even knows how much I've been doing for Billy. Previously, I told her that Jake had been put to work by the Quileute Elders which would explain his notorious absence over the past several weeks. To be blunt, Angela was livid for me when she learned the truth. Being the Godsend that she is, she suggested using one of the tickets from the Cullens' to go to Florida to see my Mum. Angela gave me purpose, something I can't thank her enough for. Honestly, Angela is the best thing that happened to me in Forks. She taught me what it is to have a true friend.

I hope the sun would give me some safety from Victoria but I can't dwell on the threat she poses, since I can't do anything about her. I'm just a regular old human. So I can only hope that the wolves manage to take her down.

I rang Renee. She may be flaky and harebrained but I know she loves me and just wants the best for me. After a few rings she picked up, and right away I told her everything that I could—minus the supernatural. Right from the start, she and I were on the same page that both Jake and Billy were cretins for the way they used me. I hated them for it. Granted though, I would have happily helped out and stayed down on the Rez but the lies and deceit they created were more than enough to keep me at bay forever.

I trust Charlie but I don't trust Billy and Jacob at all anymore. The only thing that worries me though is that Charlie's 'best friend' will manipulate the facts to depict me to be the one at fault and not Jacob. Knowing Billy, I wouldn't put it past him to try and pull such a manoeuvre. Over the phone, I told Renee about the situation, and she surprisingly didn't disagree with me over my fears. We then hung up but an hour later Phil called me. He made a startling suggestion that I sell the old Chevy truck. He even gave me a number for a friend of a friend of his that dealt in restoring classic vehicles. Luckily their main location was in Seattle and I wasn't too far from there.

On the drive to Seattle, I stopped at a truck stop and found the plane tickets that had been haphazardly tossed in my bag. Sparing a few minutes, I decided to repack my stuff deciding what I wanted to keep or donate. It took a while but when I was done, I dropped the stuff into the nearest donation bin. Afterwards, I drove to the address Phil gave me. I had managed to sell the truck for much higher than I originally expected, but was promised by the buyer that the shell and parts of this particular model were worth it. To be extra nice, the guy even gave me a lift to the airport. He was so nice.

When arriving, I soon learned that an open first class ticket allows for far more leeway than I expected. Let me tell you this, there is a major, major difference in first class to coach. It's not just the extra legroom; it's the overall service and treatment. The food was nearly edible!

Before boarding, I sent a text message to Renee with the flight number and arrival time. She responded right away, and to be honest, that part didn't really surprise me. What did surprise me was when I saw _both _Renee and Phil waiting for me. Renee was actually there for me for a change… I couldn't help but gape in shock.

When we got back to her house, I phoned Charlie. Needless to say, the conversation included nothing but yelling—more so on his part—where he told me to come straight home. It was when those words left his lips that I had learned the truth; my worst fears had come true. Billy had gone to him and told him that _I_ was delusional. Billy told Charlie that Jake had been busy working on a surprise for me; that that was why we weren't spending as much time together. What a load of lies! By the conversation's end, I told him that since I was eighteen and legally an adult, I was making the choice of staying with Renee. It might have hurt his feelings but I was not returning to Forks! I was also the first to hang up.

By now Renee is furious for me. It's nice to know that I have one parent on my side for a change.

Meanwhile, after the disastrous call with Charlie, I rang Angela and told her Charlie's reaction. She is seething for me too. I could hear it in her voice. Despite the fact that she doesn't like to say negative things about people, to propel the conversation forward, she asked me about the flight and the welcome I received.

Not much has happened since. Over the passing week, I had trouble sleeping as my dreams—no, nightmares were consumed with thoughts of either Victoria or Jacob catching me. To make matters worse, the deceit hit me hard. Having Charlie believe Billy over me hurt more than a physical blow ever would. I thought Charlie and I had grown close, but him choosing Jake over me spoke for itself. While in Forks, I managed to escape one manipulating boyfriend but ran straight into the arms of another. I trusted them down on the Reservation but finding out how misplaced that trust was hurt in ways I can't even begin to describe in words. I don't know how far the deceit goes but if the wolves are under some kind of compulsion I don't know anyone strong enough to go against them.

In the meantime, I also started to second guess Old Quil's motives when he performed that second aspect of the ritual on me. I mean... was he really trying to help me or _them, _his fellow Quileute men? Also, had he known that the ritual would leave me in a week-long coma? The idea it could have been left me feeling dirty and used. But it did teach me one thing: I hate not knowing if I can trust people.

* * *

><p>AN

Three chapters in one day, TriforceandSheikahArts is going above and beyond as a Beta. Thank you!

:)-J


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

I spent the last few weeks of summer travelling and having fun with Renee and Phil. For once, I could just be myself which was great. Renee surprised me with how much she had matured in our time apart. Phil did a really good job in keeping her balanced and grounded but did so without stifling her.

Angela and I stayed in contact. She gives me the news for Forks and I tell her of Renee's antics. I'm sure she thinks I'm making up some of the stuff up but that's Renee for you! I do, however, tease Angela just a bit by mentioning to her the daily forecasts here in Florida. All of which include nothing but sunshine and no rain. That almost always guarantees me a laugh from her in our conversations.

With the summer ending though, I realized that I don't want to be alone when it officially terminates. My long-term goals are still in the ether so I'm having a year out of full-time education; however I have decided to take up Phil's living offer. See, it turns out that they have a Granny flat over their garage. Because of my situation, they decided to let me have it… for free! It really is the best of both worlds, since they're there if I need them but I can come and go without censor.

Phil is fantastic. He treats me like more of a younger sibling than a child. He even managed to find me a job as an "office grunt"—that isn't my official title but it is a far closer description. My days down there mostly consist of photocopying and making coffees. But because of the pay, I have been managing to take some night courses in business studies and accounting. Although I have no idea what I want to do long-term, it seems like the most useful thing to do for now.

During my night classes, I somehow managed to make a small group of friends. Key word: small, this encompasses two. That might sound sad to some, but for me I think it's pretty good. We sit together in class and sometimes go out for drinks together; though they drink more than me. But to be honest, we're not as close as some might expect. I mean, yes, we do chat and text on occasion, but if asked out by them often I don't put myself into a position where anyone can let me down. If I can help them with work or school its fine, but if they keep asking, well, it kind of puts me in a rough spot. I'm much less forthcoming the second time around. It's hard but I have learned to hold back with those that just want to use me to wipe their feet on—such as getting a good mark on an assignment. Because of my time in Forks, I have obtained a much greater appreciation for those that try to return the favour in some way.

I always have the supernatural in the back of my mind, and I tend to hold back knowing Victoria is still out there. I'm also finding it harder to trust people. The pressure to date or at least find a fuck buddy is bought up in both environments. I can talk easily enough to men but they get frustrated when I won't spend time with them alone.

I had one guy accusing me of being a tease, as he pushed me for more. Another claimed to be a friend and offered to walk me back to my car one night. As I came into sight of the car he pushed me into an alley and tried to take advantage of me. I didn't even think; my body reacted just as I had practised in the self-defence class. He went down holding his family jewels as I ran to my car. I drove off as he stood and started waving his fists at me. I spent the rest of the night filing a police report, not because I thought they would do anything but as protection in case he tries anything again. I had pressed record on my phone for the walk. Another tip I had been given at self-defence class, which really works wonders. I let the police hear it but it made more of an impression on the doubters at college when I warned the others in my classes. I reported him to one of the advisor's just in case he tried it with anyone else. Some of the women bitched about me reporting him and give me grief but I told them, "If you want him knowing what he is, then you're welcome to have him."

I hated Edward initially; I should have taken that as my first clue. I also never felt any sort of spark for Jake. When reflecting on them both now, they were both equally pushy in their own ways and **always** tried to tell me what to do. I'm going to wait until I find someone that I can call a friend, that asks me rather than telling me what to do, and someone I feel desire for before I decide to settle down in another relationship. Some people might find that decision odd, but I don't think that sounds too extreme or unreasonable... espeically given the boys I've dated.

I had to explain a couple of times to a lot of people about why I'm so reticent about going out on dates. I told them about my ex boyfriends: the control freak (Edward) and the boy next door kind (Jacob). First, the control freak. While his family might have treated me like one of them, with him trying to buy my love and never letting me have time to myself, well, it downright turned me off. Manipulating me and using words—and force—to isolate me from everyone but his family was another major no, no. The last straw was when he left me, alone, in the woods, telling me that I was nothing more than a distraction, a plaything for him to pass them time with. Heck, the rest of the family never said goodbye to me, and purposely changed all their contact details so I could never reach them. Uh, I still hate that to this day. But moving on, next is the cheerful, boy next door personality, my Dad's best friend's son. At the beginning things were going well; we were having fun. Everything was all dandy until he blackmailed his friends into lying for him. And using me as a housekeeper for his disabled father while he ran off to fuck his other girlfriend was a big punch to the side. Not to mention his father being in on the scam. Talk about one horrid ordeal.

When I told them of my own father siding him not me, well, they were shocked and horrified for me. They all laughed and agreed with my assessment that they should both be: "Ripped to shreds then the pieces burnt!" At least they understand why I'm not ready to start dating again. Fortunately they didn't understand my reason for that particular punishment!

As of right now, I am nicely settled in and recovering… but then Charlie phoned. As it turns out, Renee had kept him in the loop after the blow-out we had on the phone a few months back. I haven't spoken to him since, but Renee keeps him informed that I was still alive. She didn't give him much more information which was to my liking.

Charlie is currently all contrite and apologetic. I spoke to him and told him that I forgave him. I have forgiven him, but his actions have burnt all of the bridges we had built. I don't know how to let him start regaining my trust, yet I think he knows that. In passing, he told me that Jake had gotten married in a rush and that his new wife is pregnant. It was only then that Charlie realised that I had been telling him the truth. I did have a dig that the surprise Jacob claimed to be working on for me must be a baby from another woman. I might be struggling to follow through with the forgiveness.

However, unbeknown to Charlie, I had learned of Jake's marriage several days before the call from Angela. Being the good friend that she is, Angela had phoned me with that clanger as soon as she heard. She didn't like to be the bearer of bad news but she wanted me to hear it from a friend and not find out in some other way. I love her for that. I was relieved to find out he had married, since that meant he won't be trying to chase me if I ever decide to return to Forks one day. Well, as for the bun in the oven, if that's what they want then good luck to them both. But if his wife wasn't keen on looking after Billy, I don't think she'll be the sort of person that will enjoy the dirty nappies and sleepless nights… But then again, it serves them right. At the back of my mind though, I can't help but hope the child doesn't suffer because of its parents actions.

After obtaining that piece of information, from then on, I made an effort to stay in contact with Charlie; but it was just empty words between the two of us. I told him about my job and night classes while he told me a little about his work. The murders had tapered down to nothing starting about a week after I left. The paperwork had settled down now but they still had no leads. I was amazed when Charlie asked if I could take any time off work and school. He said that he wanted to see me and would treat me to a holiday with him. I know he wants to regain my trust and he is trying, but it will take me quite some time to trust him again.

I went with an 'I will reserve judgement' attitude. He took me to Colonial Williamsburg. We spent all of our time doing tourist stuff together. I thought I knew our country's history but seeing several re-enactments and visiting the actual places bought it all to life for me. I really loved the restaurants that felt like we were taking a step back in time. Of all the things we did together, I felt I saw the real Charlie when we went on a wildlife boat trip. He became so animated pointing everything out. The guide loved having someone so interested in the tour, and they spent a good hour talking afterwards. I enjoyed seeing him so excited and acting like a big kid.

The trip reminded me of the good times we spent together before when I was younger. I smiled and made the most of it, enjoying his company. He left believing things are back on good terms between the two of us. Although he might think that, for me it is another story. While he is my dad, and I do want to make things right between us, that hurt runs deep and is still too fresh to ignore. I don't know how to let go of the frustration and anger of him choosing Jacob over me, his own daughter. Forgiveness is becoming harder to move past for me; it's no longer the automatic response that it was, my experiences have left me jaded. In my innocence I gave my trust freely, but that is no longer the case now.

* * *

><p>AN

Thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts. I can't express how much it means to me to have someone help with my wayward words!

:)-J


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

My office job is finally becoming interesting as people in the firm are starting to provide me with some actual work opportunities. No more… well, not as much menial work as before. Hooray. Today especially was better as I actually got to give a couple of presentations to some of the smaller customers. My night classes have also gotten to be quite interesting. Before I found the lessons to be tiring, but since we've begun to venture further into the subjects, they've become much more appealing.

But back onto the topic of work, I was so pleased when they gave me the chance to present to a new client. There was only one downside; I had to travel to Tallahassee. Before leaving, I made sure to check the driving time online to make sure I wouldn't be late. It said the distance from the firm to there was roughly two and half hours. In actuality, it took me four hours to get there. Stupid traffic. But the presentation still went really well. I emerged hours later feeling giddier than I ever had in a long time.

It was now time to head home. It was getting late but the roads were clear. I decided to hit the highway rather then getting a motel room since I wanted to be home as soon as possible. I was making pretty good time. I had just crossed the seventy-five and had an empty road ahead all for myself. Out of boredom, I started messing with the radio. I hit that time of night and I just want to listen to some music. I flicked through the stations without finding a song I wanted to listen to.

_I should have just plugged in my iPod,_ I thought sourly. I glared at the radio as I flicked through the stations once again.

Suddenly I noticed a set of approaching lights. They were so bright they were practically blinding me. I had to squint in order to make out the vehicle. It was a truck. The driver was driving with his headlights on high beam. The idiot.

Gosh that light is bright.

I looked up for a second to blink and then looked back down only to realize that he was heading straight for me! Shit. He was on the grass between the two highways. I hit my horn, nothing; he was still on a collision course heading straight for me. I hit the brakes and swerved out of the way. Yet he managed to hit the front wing of my car. I had easily lost control. The car spun and with a glancing blow hit the truck again. I saw the tractor start to turn but that caused the trailer to jackknife across the front of my car. I felt another impact but then just blackness.

* * *

><p>I came too briefly. I was aware I was being moved. The pain threatened to drown me but I felt relief and hope that I had survived and was been taken to a hospital. I sank back into darkness.<p>

...

I awoke to pain searing every inch of my body and a blinding headache. I felt something cold blow past my cheek. It took me a minute to realize that I was outside. Slowly, almost hesitantly, I opened my eyes to see a starry filled night sky. It was then that I started to panic. Where was I? What happened? I tried to move, wanting to unearth more, but when I tried to move the sheer exertion pushed me back under.

* * *

><p>AN

Only a short chapter I know. The next chapter is a bit different, I hope it works.

TriforceandSheikahArts has sped through these last few chapters. Here I was hoping for weekly updates. Any more than that is a bonus. Thank her so much for her dedication!

:)-J


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Victoria's POV**

They killed my mate. They will pay. I will make sure of that. But to make them suffer as much as I needed them to, I first had to learn a little bit more about them.

I watched the coven first, but soon came to the realization that they are too strong for me. I needed another plan of action. Yet one seemed to fall straight onto my lap when learning of _his _justification to leave her. Yes, the wretched cretin that ended my mate's life was planning on sacrificing his own happiness to ensure that his mate would live a normal human life. His actions were noble, but quite pathetic. He was quite wretched though in the way he ended their bond. Selfishly, he deserted her in the woods to fend for herself. Although his actions would have made my job of exacting revenge easier, I couldn't stomach the idea of killing her while she was out there alone. It would be too easy. I wanted more; I wanted the thrill of a hunt… the danger behind it. But most of all, I wanted to hear her scream. Scream with pain and heartache, and die at the hands of myself, knowing that her mate would never return to her, like James would never be returning to me.

I chose to observe her after their departure. Unsurprisingly, she behaved in the same manner as I had after the death of my James. Through observing her, I soon came to realize that the Cullen's used her, just as James once thought. However, through the passing of time, I watched the little worm become involved in something that my late James would never have anticipated: werewolves. Yes, _somehow_ she had managed to get involve herself with the dogs. Luckily they were young, undisciplined, and easy to evade; which made it all the better for me.

I watched the human interact specifically with one mutt. It appeared to be the largest of the pack. From what I could deduce, it seemed as though the human cared for the mongrel, but not to the degree that it wanted. The beast claimed to love her but he made my James look kind with the games he knowingly played with her. Overtime, I grew to experience another realization; while I might forever hold a grudge against this little human, I will intend to take some revenge in her name. After all, regardless of our difference in species, we've both suffered greatly, those that hurt us deserve to pay.

The human ran when she learned of the games the mutt played on her. I had been creating a diversion for the dogs in Seattle. I would, of course, follow the little human during her departure from the wetland, but for the moment I need to "clean up", I don't want attention coming down on me before I am ready. The mutt and his new bitch will pay for spoiling my fun. The first newborn I made had been useful but he bored me, with his clingy nature. He made all the toys so I got him to dispose of them. I let him believe we would leave together but I added him to the flames. When I had finished doing so, I left to follow the worm.

Granted, it was harder to follow her in the sun but I was still determined. No matter what, she would pay. As they say, revenge is a dish best served cold and that is what I intended to deliver. I am no longer sure he is her mate. James told me she is a pet and hearing her talk now makes me think she must be, she holds no love for him. I wonder how a reunion would go if she could see him now, considering what I did to him before.

I found him alone and weak. It still makes me ooze with pride at the thought of his scarred body. He will no longer be viewed as "perfect" or "charming" in our world or even the human world. Oh, it would be delicious to see the worm's reaction if she saw the state I left her precious mate in. Whether the little cretin knows it or not, venom scars our kind will forever leave a mark.

I started to grin. A growl of pride escaped from the bowels of my throat. That sight truly would be something extraordinary to see. But for now, I mustn't think of that; no, I need to begin the next phase of my operation. First, I must take care of the worm herself, _little Isabella. _

Through watching her life in Jacksonville, over the course of several weeks, I grew to learn her agenda fairly simply. It was only a matter of time now until I would make my move.

The opportunity arose sooner than I had anticipated. The girl was leaving for work and wouldn't be back until evening. She would be driving alone along an empty highway in the dark… empty where not many people would be around. Perfect. I could hardly wait.

Running to catch up to the girl, I had caught scent of a nearby female hiker. I grinned. This would make my work even better. Quickly and efficiently, I snuck up on the hiker, my throat purring upon hearing the sounds of that savagely beating heart. Before the hiker could even try to protect herself, I jumped and sucked her dry, grinning all the while. When the fun was done and my thirst was sated, I grabbed the body with relative ease by slinging it over my shoulder. I would be sure to make use of the physical remains. Leaving nothing to chance, I acted with ease. But before doing so, I made sure to stow away the hiker's body in a nearby bush, fully intending on using it soon.

While it would have been simple enough to stop the worm's car and suck her dry, I had something better in mind. A fuel tanker would make a perfect ploy to build her fear even higher. The trucker was even simple to distract and made a good snack. Before I could suck him entirely dry however, the little human's car came into sight. I headed straight for her while driving the tanker. She didn't realise until it was too late. We collided straight on. I laughed as her car repeatedly bounced off the truck.

I grabbed the human out of her car. She didn't even see me, such a shame. She blacked out but I was relieved to hear her heart still beating strongly. I moved her from the accident. I went back and found the hiker and shoved her in the car. The matches I carried in my back pocket would finally be of use. I gently lit the match, threw it towards the car and ran. The explosion lit the night sky. I grinned.

Back with the little human, I ran with her in my arms to a location not too far from her home. I have had plenty of time to learn the terrain well. This is isolated enough that she should never be heard or found but close enough that the nearest smell of humans is her family.

The trucker left me feeling bloated so I was able to bite the little human with little trouble. I made sure only to put a small amount of venom in her to ensure the change would be nice and slow; extra torturous. The longer they take to change, the more feral they emerge, if they survive. I had plenty of practise in Seattle, after all, while making all those newborns for the dogs to deal with. It was all for naught but this works as well. Such a shame she never woke to see me but the devastation she will cause when she arises as a newborn will get back to the yellow eyes. Their little pet going against all they believe. As a cherry on top, it would be so fitting if her mother could be her first meal.

I couldn't wait to see if all aspects of that part of my plan worked. Time is of the essence with the stunted seer as an ever present threat.

Next, I left the little worm and went to enact the next part of my revenge. I found the dog boy's lazy little bitch with ease. By the time I finished with her she would no longer get to choose to be lazy. I didn't care she has a mongrel in her belly... she would still pay for spoiling my game.

During our brief encounter, I made sure to damage her exterior as much as I had damaged her interior. Needless to say, its amazing what a few drops of venom could do to human ligaments. In this case, the little wench's spine would be forever severed. It was a beautiful thought. No... it was an even more beautiful sight to see her lying there on the ground... all deformed and _ugly_... It truly fit her... it made her interior self all the more visible to the exterior world.

Perfect.

While I didn't get a chance to enact the last part of my plan, I never had much hope that it would succeed. However, as a backup plan, I had written a letter to the Volturi, informing them of everything I had learned of the Cullen's. I made sure to include how they killed my mate, and the dangers of them leaving a human alive with the knowledge of vampires. To save them the effort—and the happiness it would bring me—I included the little titbit of how I had taken care of the human. I hope that will torment the Cullen's for some time to come in the approaching future, if I am unable to create it directly. I just hope the wrath of the Volturi descend on them, they deserve it.

I have no intentions of being caught by either them or the Volturi. I wasn't going to be taken down without a fight. I want to be reunited with my James, but I wouldn't be leaving just yet… I still had to settle a score with a certain dog after all. Yes, I directly attacked the leech lover's previous dog "boyfriend." The fight—which occurred when he found me attacking his mate—was fast and ended in mere minutes.

Although it had ended my life, I had no regrets. I had, after all, managed to rip off an ear, gouging the area around the eye in the process. With my last act I broke then ripped off its foreleg. I had had just enough time to toss the severed limb in the sea before his comrades arrived and took me down.

Before they tore off my head, I saw the boy change back to his human form. His left arm was gone all the way up to the elbow. His right ear was gone, and the surrounding eye and cheek area were bloody, damaged and would be forever scarred.

Forever scarred. Forever ruined.

That notion would forever make me smile. With that, I was then gone… I left this world with a smirking grin across my lips as the rippling flames suddenly overtook my body.

Soon, soon, I would be reunited with my mate, my James. The centre of my world. I couldn't wait.

* * *

><p>AN

TriforceandSheikahArts struggled through this chapter for me, her least favourite so far. Sorry!

We are back with Bella in the next chapter.

:)-J


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 **

The blissful darkness of unconsciousness eludes me now. I knew what was happening. The slight burn I felt when James bit me had been little more than a warm breeze on a summer's day compared to this. I tried to distract myself by remembering my human life but the venom wouldn't let me; all I could do was feel the burning sensation of pain… of agony.

It took me time to realize that the venom allowed me to feel anger… the one thing I could summon. I grasped my anger, my hate of Edward, Jacob and Billy. As my anger built it spilled onto the Cullen's and all those that had tricked me, discarded me, used me, and disappointed me. I let the venom enhance me; I embraced the heat rather than fight it.

Time had no meaning to me now. A day, a week, a lifetime, an eternity; I couldn't tell you how long the venom held me in its shackles. The last beat of my heart was the signal for the venom to release the chains that held me immobile for what felt like forever.

The fire cleansed me of the anger and hatred that poisoned my soul. I had a brief pang of regret that I was losing a true friend… the venom had become a companion of sorts to me. The pang abated as I felt the venom in its new form; it resided inside of me. It shares this new, improved body. The venom is now my instinct and action.

It understands me. It communicates with me. It can use and understand language but everything is new and unknown to it. Its feelings and emotions are too raw. It is happy with me, I think, embracing it rather than fighting it. I know what it wants; what it craves. I can feel its need to reach those same heights of energy that it achieved as it changed me to become a vampire.

I shackle down my body, I lock my body into a motionless state as it screams and demands more. It seems to understand as I explain we will never experience that energy again. It will always stay with us, a clear memory of the heights we reached. I explained we need to stay hidden. I promise I will always keep it fed but no amount of feeding will ever come close to our entry into this new world. Feeding will reduce the feeling in our throat, it won't help it to spread. I tell it we now have forever but we must not let human know we exist or they will try to end us. The Venom tells me it is stronger and faster, it can keep me safe. I have to remind it that we are few and humans are many. Humans will find a way to end us, if they knew about us. I let memories of war coverage on television run through my mind. The Venom saw the wars and destruction humans create and reluctantly agreed. We lay for hours as we bickered back and forth. I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin as it rose, arcing its path across the sky.

I decided to move hoping the venom has calmed enough. I stood up but everything was just too much for me to grasp. The venom had to calm me this time. Once I settled down, it opened up all of my senses for an instant. The intensity overwhelmed me. It found my reaction strange. To the venom, this is natural. To me, the intensity of my improved senses is overwhelming compared to my human senses. The speed is terrifying, but it is the only way to move as far as the venom is aware. I explained the last time I moved, I was a slow and weak _human_, before it had improved me. It helped me by taking control and fending back the whole thing at a reduced intensity. It gave me more than I experienced when I was human but not so much too overwhelm me again. It let me know it would gradually increase the input so I could learn to deal with it all in time.

I soon came to realize that we both needed each other. We need to learn to work together for our best interest. Since I had worked with the venom as I burned, I still have access to my human memories. They were burned into my memory rather than burned up and the ashes blown away. The venom wants to know more. I started to recall my memories... all of them. From my first memory to dissecting every memory I made during my time in Forks, it all helped the venom see why I found some effects so hard to handle.

From my memories the venom was also able to pick up on things I had missed from my time with the Cullen's and the wolves, much like the during the scar removal ceremony. It thinks it took my memories for its own benefit, not mine. It hates Jacob and the imprint but not the rest of the pack. It respects Jared and Embry even if they didn't know I could hear them at the time. The venom likes how they were angry for me. It feels little for the Cullen's. It feels nothing for most of them. Edward and Alice garner its contempt… It does however burn with interest for Jasper.

_"You are worth it_,_"_ resonates with the venom.

The venom decided it would try an animal or two but it didn't hold much hope that it would be enough. It could see that animals could have a place but only if the other alternatives were unavailable. As a compromise put forward the idea of using the underbelly of society as our main food source, it agreed.

We were in an area with good coverage, trees and undergrowth. Any wildlife that had frequented this area had cleared out when I was placed here. The old scent trails of animal, the venom doesn't find that at all appealing. The scent of vampire remains here, our Sire. We used daylight hours to help me get used to the strength and abilities of this new body. The venom had increased my senses awareness. It only took a few hours but gradually increasing it gave me the opportunity to learn to appreciate the information rather than drown under its intensity. The venom slowly let me control our movements but I'm nowhere near as smooth as it is. We both learn so fast, all it takes is experiencing something once and it is cemented in our mind like glue.

As the day progressed I found myself calling the venom, Izzy.

I am still Bella.

Izzy purred when I first thought my human full name should mean both of us; Isabella or Is, two I's!

As dusk fell, I let Izzy take the lead. We headed for the stench of humanity, the burn in our throat growing as we got closer. Izzy loves the burn, it's not the same as the burn of the change but it is reminiscent. I let out a soft wry laugh when I recognised how close we were to Renee's. Izzy and I came to the conclusion that we had been placed here to take my Mother out in our initial feeding frenzy.

Izzy scoffed, letting me know she is in full control of our thirst. I pointed out she may be now but without our earlier conversations we would have run rampant. I would have hidden in panic from the intensity of all my new senses, and the venom would have gone for lakes of blood to try to recreate the burn. Only by working together are we aware and able to control ourselves. The more we work together the more we are one entity rather than two. We both want that, the thought of one trying to take control with the other pushed to the background is something neither of us likes to think of.

We ran like the wind and approached the house. I would like some keepsakes and we want to find any information we can about what the humans believe happened to me.

We went first to the house. Our mouth watered, we had to swallow back the constant stream of venom. We were both determined not to let whoever changed us win. I looked at the date on the clock. A week had passed. Phil was sat on the sofa cradling a weeping Renee. I could see the tears rolling down his cheeks as she sobbed.

I listened as she repeated, "I can't believe she's really gone. A mother should never have to bury her own child… We may never know why that truck veered all the way across. He had only been driving a few hours, his phone hadn't rung. They didn't have a chance. The fire burned so hot, all we have is ashes. It's not fair. She can't be gone, she's too young."

I was legally dead. Whoever had bitten me had taken me out of that car then set it all alight. We thought of Victoria but we had no way to find out for sure.

We left them to their grieving. We checked my apartment; no one had been in since I left. I grabbed a backpack and filled it with the things I wanted to keep. I put in a pile of photos that I had printed to make up a new album but never got around to doing. I also decided to take the laptop. I put in a couple of books and a few knick-knacks. I had a couple of pieces of jewellery with sentimental value. I filled the rest of the bag with a couple of changes of clothes and the small amount of cash I had. I took one look at the state of the clothes I was wearing and decided to change, taking the old clothes with us in a plastic bag.

Izzy is aware we had been left where we awoke for a reason. She wanted to leave no signs of our presence. She ensured she keeps our touches as light and infrequent as possible. When I collected everything I wanted, she got us to open the windows marginally and douse the rooms with the Freesia air freshener to mask our scent. Going over my human memories had taught us much, not only the mundane academic learning but all of the films and television I had watched before my change. However, I had to make sure Izzy made the differentiation between fact and fiction. I hadn't realised how much I had taken in when I was reading as Charlie watched the television; cop shows and thrillers made up a large percentage of his sport free hours. Charlie's past mumbles over the inaccuracies gave us a clearer idea of details we needed to take notice of. As a human I had been very aware of things others missed, ignoring my own feet in the process. My curiosity is part of the reason I'm where I am today.

* * *

><p>Izzy doesn't like staying in the area since we had been set up and placed here. We ran north. When the sun set, we started to walk alongside the highway where a bike pulled up behind us after a very short time. He offered to give us a lift. The way he looks us over leaves us with no doubt that his motives aren't altruistic. He drove for a while before turning off; he took us to a deserted area. He tried to take advantage but we were too strong for him to handle. In the end, he supplied us with our first meal.<p>

Izzy pouted when the blood put out the warming fire in our throat. She likes the memory of the heat, I thought with a grin. The content feeling of a good meal is appreciated but not the burn she dreams of. She grudgingly accepts this is our new reality.

Her thoughts of flames and heat made me repeat the one thing that can kill us. She thinks it is ironic. We didn't know how others hide their kills so we decided to bury the body. His jacket and helmet had too many identifiable logos and images, not to mention they were huge for someone of our size. In the end, we decided to take his bike and small amount of cash for the means of transportation and gas.

I remember riding a bike when I was human with Jake, but the vampire reflexes make it so much easier to adapt. As a human the weight of the bike would have overwhelmed me before I'd had the chance to start it. Now that wasn't a problem.

We did a few laps on the bike to ensure we had proper control before heading back to the highway. The open road is so much easier than lots of tight turns, starting and stopping.

We drove north for hours until when we came across a biker bar. As we pulled in we heard someone shout, "I need the restroom. I'll be right behind you."

It was followed with an, "Okay, see you tomorrow."

We hid in the shadows as a group of girls in leather clothing came out. They set off and were out of sight when another girl came out alone. She wobbled and stumbled towards the parking lot. She was clad in black leather, head to toe, with a plain black helmet. We waited until she had her keys in hand and made her way to a bike before we struck. A gentle tap and she was out cold. We moved her around to the other side of the building where no one would see her.

Izzy and I have every intention to keep our diet to the dregs of society but we will do what it takes to maintain our secrecy. We would have eaten her anyway but the overpowering aroma of drugs and alcohol in her blood made it easier for me to justify. Izzy doesn't have the same hang ups. We need to look the part if we don't want to stand out. Since she is about our build we decided we will be able to blend in better if our clothes match our method of transport. Leathers are a pain to take off, especially from someone else. I drained her body then ran quite a ways to bury it. We rode her bike to a little used dirt track a few miles up the road and parked it so it would hopefully remain undiscovered for a while.

I hope she will be reported missing, thinking she left with someone.

Running back to the bar we mounted our original bike. The leather jacket, trousers, gloves, boots and the helmet keeps our skin hidden during even the sunniest of hours. Between the two wallets we had acquired, we had plenty of cash for fuel for the many miles to go.

* * *

><p>AN

Huge thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts.

:)-J


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Months passed as we travelled along the Eastern coast. We took our time and enjoyed the sights. In the midst of travelling, we learned that leather clothing served many purposes. The best being that the fabric provided a great way to conceal our skin during daylight hours, regardless of the temperature. It also stretches, which provides great service in meeting our… dietary needs.

Speaking of food, for now, the best "meal plan" usually involved killing drug dealers. Izzy and I found them the easiest to kill as it's much easier to pin the death blame on gang killings. We also noticed that the drug dealers seemed to carry a lot of cash on them. That's especially good when paying for gas money.

It might sound like all fun and games here, but believe me, we have had many encounters with other vampires, and they weren't pretty. Those nomads were aggressive and anti-social with us. There wasn't one that believed my story of being a newborn vampire. They said I was too tame, and thus, I had to be lying. Izzy and I always made sure to leave right after hearing that. For the most part, the nomads let us leave, but there was one instance when one tried to prevent us from departing.

He leered at me from the start. When I tried to leave he grabbed me by the arms, and looked like he was going to try to rape me. Those blood red eyes that would have scared me when I was human did nothing but make me laugh now that I was turned. Why, you might be wondering? It's actually quite simple. See, I knew that with Izzy by my side everything would be fine. From the defence moves I learned when I was human, combined with the speed, grace and agility of being a vampire, Izzy was more than able to finish off the nomad. He was the first vampire added to our list of growing fatalities.

Afterwards, we fled to New York City. It was a hotspot for vampires but they all seemed to keep to themselves. After the scare with the idiot that attacked us, we wanted to have as many tools in our arsenal as we could find. We used the time in the city to attend as many martial art and self-defence classes as possible. From time on, Izzy and I realised that we could watch a technique once and everything—the timing, the execution and motions—stays embedded in our brain. It made learning the motions easier and there had been a few opportunities where we were able to test out the movements with our food.

Elsewise, we made the most of the other resources in the city. Akin to when I was human, we spent a large amount of time in the many city libraries. In distinction to the libraries in Forks and my past hometown in Phoenix, Arizona, these libraries offered a much larger selection. As well, reading as a vampire in contrast to reading as a human was so much easier! It's now so much faster to accumulate information.

Through our readings, we accidentally stumbled on some interesting readings about vampires. Although most of them were false, there was a small interesting summary pertaining to the Volturi… that name sounded familiar. Briefly, during my time with Edward, I recalled him mentioning them. Because of that, Izzy soon wanted to meet them. She wanted to take our learning further and find some vampires to practise on. She decided it was a risk to try to meet with the Volturi, but she deemed it worthwhile especially considering the potential knowledge we can gain from them.

To get there, we didn't have many options. Right off the bat I ruled out the idea of sneaking on a cargo ship bound for Europe, since there wouldn't be enough food available for the duration of the trip. However, Izzy had a great plan—as expected. With her planning, we selected a cargo plane. Granted, it took a bit of research to find out how to get in without tripping any security, but it worked out. We had found a large shipment where we were able to conceal ourselves in. Before departing, we gorged on blood since we didn't know how long it would take to land. Fortunately, as we didn't need heat, oxygen or any kinds of human comforts, the journey was possible.

Hours later, the plane landed in Munich. We had to wait hours for an opportunity to escape without being detected.

When I was human, I struggled to learn just one language. But as a vampire it was so much easier since our memory allows us to hear or read something once and remember it forever. For each country we traversed, we picked up a tourist phrase book and a dictionary. It was enough to get us started, and that's all that mattered. Besides, when it came to hunting for food, a language barrier didn't matter. Instincts were far more important.

We've grown to like riding motorbikes. In Europe, the Autobahns are fun fast roads; so much of the traffic is travelling at much greater speeds than in the United States. It's awesome! The borders, however, were an inconvenience. Since we didn't possess any forms of identification, we had to find places where we could get the bike across the border without human detection.

Sometime later, we made it into Italy. We travelled south. A side trip to Venice was just too tempting. The architecture and history were everything I hoped for but I didn't expect the stench. Our senses were just too sensitive and new for us to enjoy staying there too long.

We moved on towards Volterra. Izzy decreed we needed to eat well before we entered the town. We found a good source of food, overindulged, and then drove the last couple of hours to the town. Without a doubt, we were in the right place. The smell of vampire was so overpowering that it literally pervaded every stone.

We made our way to the castle located in the centre of the town. We entered the opulent lobby and smirked as we saw the human receptionist. The scent of vampires was far too fresh, almost on the verge of being overpowering. It made the process of trying to discern each individual scent highly difficult.

We walked into the lobby out of the bright morning sun. We had on a full leather ensemble and still had our helmet on with the visor entirely down.

The receptionist spoke in Italian. She sneered, "Deliveries through the side door."

We laughed; even we could hear the menacing edge to our laugh. We opened our visor. She gasped and we heard her press a button. She stuttered out a string of apologies, then, "Someone will be here to escort you."

One of the doors to the side of the lobby swung open. A short boy stood in the doorway. He was a vampire but he looked so young. He gestured me over to him. He waited until the door was closed behind us before starting to speak, "Welcome to Volterra. The Kings like to meet every visitor upon their arrival. You are fortunate they are still in the Throne room at the moment so they will see you momentarily."

We nodded as he led me down a wide hallway towards the strongest concentration of vampire scents. The corridor culminated in a huge set of wooden doors. The boy tapped with a distinctive knock then opened the door.

All eyes in the room turned to look at us. The black haired man in the centre told us to, "Enter."

I recognised the three men on the thrones as the three in the painting from Carlisle's study back in Forks.

Izzy and I walked into the room, placing myself in front of the thrones. We took the helmet off and shook out our hair. We bowed in respect then looked up. We spoke in the best Italian we could muster, "Thank you for seeing me."

It seems the man in the centre was the spokesman. I remembered three names; Aro, Caius and Marcus but I didn't know which was which. He spoke again. "Please introduce yourself; a full history if possible, and tell how you came to us, in your own language."

We nodded. "We are Is or Isabella. I was known as Bella Swan when I was still human. I became acquainted with the Cullen's in school when I went to live with my father. Edward Cullen told me of the Volturi leaders, Aro, Caius and Marcus. He claimed they are the self-appointed leaders of the vampire race." I chose to leave out the details pertaining to the Cullen's departure and some of the more important information relating to the La Push wolves. I did, however, mention Victoria and the "death" of my human self. "I was involved in a car accident five months ago. I deduce Victoria was the one who changed me. After waking up, Izzy and I became one." I included the details of my travels and the many encounters I had with various nomadic vampires. "The vampires we encountered didn't believe we are so new to this life, so they didn't trust us. As a result, to learn more of this life, we came here to you, the Volturi, in the hopes that we could learn more about our new situation."

The white haired vampire showed his fury by hissing several times during my brief history lesson. The dark haired one only tightened his eyes. The man in the middle reacted more to my name than he did to the rest of the details. He asked me to step forward.

We smiled. "You are hoping to read our mind to learn the truth, are you not?"

His eyes tightened infinitesimally at this but he nodded. "Yes, Isabella, if you are willing."

We stepped forward and stood tall. "We have nothing to hide but we need to tell you this: Edward Cullen was unable to read my mind when I was human." We tucked the helmet under our left arm and held our right hand out to him. He grasped our hand in both of his.

A smile graced his face. "What a rare treat; silence."

He went back to sit down.

We took a step back.

He looked at each of his brothers, holding his hand out for the dark haired one. He looked back at us. "I cannot hear her, she is silent to me. Her brief story contains some very strong accusations. Alone, I would doubt her story, if not for a letter I received five months ago. It contained many inflammatory details, which made me suspicious. Thus, I immediately dispatched some of my scouts to confirm the letter's contents." He glanced at the boy that led us here. "Alec, fetch the file on my desk from my office."

"While we wait, Jane, if you would test Isabella." He looked at a young girl who bore a striking likeness to the young boy.

She looked at us. Her face darkened as she stared at us. It was an all out glare when Alec returned.

"That is enough, Jane. Thank you, Alec." He passed the file Alec had retrieved to the white haired vampire.

He quickly flicked through the contents. He sneered when he was finished. The file then made its way to the dark haired vampire before returning to the blacked hair one in the centre.

He turned his attention back to me and he addressed the rest of the room. "I received a letter from the vampire that was after Isabella for revenge. The letter detailed the reason for her revenge, the killing of her mate by Edward Cullen, and the full extent of the suffering that Isabella endured. Let it suffice to say that even in her need for revenge she gained a grudging respect for Isabella and took it on herself to extract revenge on her behalf.

"My scouts confirmed all of the information she provided us with. Victoria, the author of the letter, changed Isabella as revenge against Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen had verbally claimed that Isabella was his mate, but she was human. At one point, he ensnared her with thrall and venom. The venom claim mark that was eventually created on Isabella's arm was fabricated from Edward sucking out of the venom from the bite mark made by Victoria's deceased mate, James.

"Edward Cullen left a marked human, claiming to his coven that he wanted her to live a human life. He told her she was a distraction, and the human mind is just a sieve that would soon forget our kind. He intentionally left her lost in the woods. It took a search party containing shape-shifters to find her. He went to brood over his lost love while she had to overcome addiction to the thrall. She never told anyone our secret.

"The shape shifters realised he had claimed her, they burned out the claim mark which released her from the influence of the thrall and start to heal from the effects of the venom. She grew to hate Edward as she recovered and learned the depths of his deception. Victoria counted on Isabella's hatred of him staying throughout the change. To ensure Isabella paid too, she left her close to her mother's house. Isabella was changed with very little venom. The change took six days, I believe."

We nodded. That sounded correct. Izzy and I heard murmurs coming from the other side of the room.

The black hair vampire heard them too. "Yes, she burned for six days. Few survive that duration, and usually awaken without any human traits remaining, that part of their brain burned away, lost to insanity in the change." He continued. "My scouts reported when she awoke she retrieved some items from her home and stood near the widow where her mother and step-father were.

Marcus has confirmed while he cannot see her, he can see the bonds of those she is still connected to. Her father, mother and step-father and a friend in Forks are her only positive human bonds but they have hurt twisted in them. The strongest bond is with the friend that has no darkness associated with it. Though since they are human the bonds are weak. There is only one positive bond to the Cullen's, but it is so thin that Marcus can't see any detail relating to it. That should give you all an indication of the turmoil she dealt with when she was human."

He continued. "She has also been very responsible with her hunting methods. Her first meal was with a biker in the evening of her awakening. She even disposed of the body in a culpable manner. To my awareness, none of her kills have attracted any forms of human attention."

He then went on to discuss my involvements with the many vampires Izzy and I encountered. Focusing specifically on the one that tried to rape me, Aro gave the white haired a look and a nod as I filled them in.

"He tried to rape me. I fought him off using the self-defence techniques I learned while I was human. I burned the remains to ensure that the humans wouldn't find him."

The scowling one raised an eyebrow at my words.

The chatty one smiled at me then continued. "The shape-shifter she dated and his pregnant girlfriend were paid a visit by Victoria immediately after Isabella was changed. They both survived with life altering injuries. In the end, Victoria was bested by the shifters. They burned her body, allowing her to rejoin her mate." He paused for a minute to catch his breath—even though he didn't need to—before uttering several words that more than sparked my interest. It made me smile with glee.

"Before Victoria chose to attack Isabella, she paid a visit to Edward Cullen. She left him with several scars…" I found that idea funny. No longer would perfect Edward be able to enter the human schooling system with his body marred in such a fashion.

"The last portion of Victoria's plan was to get revenge on the two Cullen's that destroyed her mate. Yet, she was unable to complete her plans due to the shifters killing her. James, her mate, and Victoria played with their food in such a way that puts the rest of our kind at risk. We would have needed to kill them, if they still existed. As well, the Cullen will need to answer for their crimes."

He smiled at me. "Isabella, Greetings, I am Aro. This is Caius," he gestured to the white haired man, then to the dark haired man, "and this is Marcus. You are welcome to stay with us for as long as you wish. You will find many here that will teach and help you find your place in this life. One last thing, please tell me why you speak about yourself in the plural."

We felt relief that we had some support from our kind, "Thank you all. We are very grateful for your gracious offer. We will be honoured to stay and learn from you. We use 'we' to recognise that there are two of us in this body. I was aware of the venom as I burned, I tried to think around it but the heat was too much. The burn lasted so long, I tried to fight it but to no avail. I started to blame the Cullen's, my anger grew. The venom fed off my anger. As I remember those that caused the negative emotions within me, the venom encouraged me. I embraced the venom as it strengthened me. When my heart stopped beating I missed the presence of the venom, it had become more reliable to me than almost anyone else I have known. Before I could complete the thought, I realised that it hadn't gone, it was there with me but it missed the energy of the change.

"After the burn finished I kept our body in lock down. We spent a long time communicating with each other, finding a balance between the unattainable want to regain the heights of energy as we changed, and the need to remain unknown to our food source. We call the human part of me Bella, and the part that is the venom is Izzy. Together we are Is or Isabella. We have decided to work together for our best interest."

Aro nodded. "Newborn vampires such as yourself are normally out of control. I am not surprised that the vampires you met disbelieved you. Victoria's letter spurred me into action. Many of my scouts had little to report. With your mind silent to me, Victoria did you a great service by sending us this information.

Few embrace the venom in the way that you have. The Volturi prides itself on embracing our vampire nature. You, however, take it to a new level, Isabella. I look forward to spending time with you and learning more about you and your symbiosis."

He turned to Alec. "Show her to one of the rooms in your wing."

Alec bowed low then gestured for me to follow him. We mimicked his action and said, "Thank you," before leaving the room.

Alec waited until the door was shut and we were a distance down the corridor before he started talking. "I am so pleased to meet you, Isabella. I cannot fathom the fact that you are only five months old. It took Jane, my sister, and I nearly ten months before we could hold a conversation. You are so… _controlled_. You know Aro must really like you. Only the favoured guards get a room in the Ruby Wing of the Castle. I can't wait to learn more about you."

He just went on and on. He didn't let me get a word in. He showed me the room, if you can call the suite we have been assigned a mere room!

* * *

><p>AN

Many thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts. Her Beta work is invaluable to me!

:)-J


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The next few weeks just flew by. Izzy and I have gotten used to calling ourselves 'I' instead of 'We' to reduce confusion among our new society, and to save ourselves the headaches—even though vampires cannot have them—from having to repeat the explanations to those who hadn't heard it.

Everyone wanted to get to know me. It was like high school all over again… or the new girl syndrome, as I liked to call it. But this time around, I learned so much more. I actually took the time to listen to my fellow peers and get to know them, unlike when I was human. But to be honest, there were some people I got along with better than others. Take Jane, for instance. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people thought that Jane and I would be bitter enemies. After all, her power had no effect on me, and it seemed as though Aro holds some considerable regard for me. However, none of that mattered. If anything, it provided Jane and me with the opportunity to get to know each other better. We turned out to have some things in common, and over time we've become somewhat good friends. I'd say the bond I share with Jane is rivalling the connection I made with Angela.

I also spent a lot of time with each of the Kings. Aro wanted to know everything about me; he wasn't used to learning someone's history the old fashioned way - through talking. I enjoyed learning about him as we talked. He sought me out initially but I enjoyed our chats and went to him on my own accord soon enough. He was shocked at my imposition but I saw a twinkle of amusement dancing in those ruby eyes of his. Most our talks revolved around the expectations I was expected to uphold. Aro informed me that I was to treat him and the other two, Marcus and Caius, with respect but not view them as those that were above me. While they might be seen as royalty in the vampire world, Aro still upholds _certain_ values… one of which being that he does not prefer it when people he is close to treat him in such a way that it creates an invisible wall between them. In lament terms, he wants me to feel comfortable around him, and not feel as though I'm withheld because of the title that surrounds his name.

Caius watched from a distance but as Izzy's aptitude for fighting became apparent, he stepped forward and trained us himself. When Caius allowed our training to be an open session, we drew a crowd of spectators. Caius is a self-contained man of few words. He has a dark sense of humour. He isn't as cruel or angry as most believe… he just has a strong sense of justice from the influence of his venom. Behind that gruff exterior is a loyal man that protects those he cares for to the extreme. The combination of our willingness to learn and determination to keep trying earned his respect and eventual friendship.

Marcus helped me heal from my heartbreaks and pain. His understanding nature and overwhelming compassion aided me in putting the past behind me. He taught me to open up so that I can start to trust others again. I truly respect him for that. However, he is a mere shadow of a man. That is a testament to his strength and fortitude after the death of his mate. I cannot imagine how he survived after losing her.

While I got along with some members of the Volturi, there were others I struggled with. Renata and Chelsea, for instance, threw dirty looks and snide comments at me with every available opportunity. Renata was supposed to help me master my shield but she never tried. As well, I didn't get along too well with the other members of the lower tier. It took Jane to point out they were jealous of me.

Jane also took great pleasure informing Aro that Renata wouldn't speak to me, let alone help me gain control of my shield. Aro came up with the perfect method to motivate her. He ordered Jane to torture Renata until I was able to learn to manipulate my shield. My motivation to learn stemmed from wanting to give something back to the Volturi for all they've given me: a home, people who care for me, love me and so forth. It took a while—and lots of screaming from Renata—for me to learn how to harness my shield, and stretch and contract it. It was a bit like juggling wet soap, the harder you try to grab it, the faster it flies out of control. With Aro's suggestions, I tested out my control by only covering part of Renata. She still felt pain in some places but I got better at manipulating the shield in the process. Meanwhile, Jane _loved_ this method of retribution.

I was surprised when Renata became friendlier with me after the process. I thought she'd hate me for it, but in actually, she told me that she deserved the punishment for avoiding her duty. She admitted to me that she feared I would take her place, rendering her of no value to the Volturi. She admitted her biggest fear was no longer having a place here. It took me a while to understand until she told me her story. With her history, she feels even more grateful to the Volturi than I could even consider. They rescued her from a very dark place.

I discussed her concerns with Aro. Aro then told Renata that she is family and will always have a home here, and that her gift was not the only reason she was here.

After hearing those words, the difference in Renata was more than pronounced. She had become much friendlier and relaxed around Jane and me. While she still remained my test dummy, I am far more careful to protect her from the majority of Jane's power. A little while ago, Jane admitted she can vary her power's intensity so we have practised expanding her ability too while testing my own. It was worthwhile in more ways than one.

I didn't get to meet the wives of the kings until I had been here for over a month. I noticed that there were at least two tiers of guards within the city. Basically, those who are trusted or have the potential to be external guards, and then there are those who simply aren't. Most of them were kind to me, but there was most likely a probationary period until the kings had confirmed that they could trust me. When they said it was good, I was given much more access and deemed trustworthy by almost all. I was surprised though when Jane told me that most people never get to meet the queens. It stunned me, and made me feel rather hesitant about meeting them... but in the end we hit it off well. Pia and Dora taught me a lot about such a wide range of subjects. They also had a lot of fun showing me some fighting techniques that would work better for those of us with a smaller stature and the dirty tricks that females can use against males.

I was still coming to terms with the rampant sex that happens between the members without mates. It really is a free for all kind of thing here, I suppose would be the best way of describing it. When I was human I was raised with what I considered to be a very liberal mother but within a society that is very strict and judgemental... especially regarding sex. I mistakenly thought I was open-minded, oh, I was so wrong. I had plenty of learning to do. I took plenty of ribbing and teasing but even Izzy wasn't ready to go from virgin to orgy. I suppose it is a sign of our innocence but we want our mind to be the first thing to become more involved, not my body as a whole from a simple means of pleasure. My fellow family did tease me about that, but they never pushed it. After all, we have eternity, so there is no point in rushing into something I don't feel comfortable with just yet.

That brings me to another issue. One thing they _all_ feel very strongly about here is choice. Consent is the unwritten law here, I guess you could say. As vampires we all have perfect recall. Grudges and revenge have caused many unnecessary deaths.

On a side note, _all of them _touch me. Not in a sexual way but in a friendly, comforting manner. We enjoy the contact that seems second nature to our kind. I was never very tactile with anyone as a human; my upbringing left me as a loner. When the vampires here aren't in a formal setting, they are touching each other almost nonstop. It might be as simple as a hand on the shoulder or a hug, or something much, much more intimate. Yet, they never push anyone for more than they want to give. The contact seems to ground us and give us a measure of peace within the castle.

I'm happy to say that I found a home here. As a human I had always felt to be an outsider, not even comfortable in my own skin. Izzy has had a shorter life but she has no doubt that being here is better than being alone. We both feel—no, know that we are welcome here and accepted for all aspects of our duel personalities.

However, I still feel a hole within us at some points. I have spoken to Marcus about this, and he feels the problem is simple. He said that the vampire within us is aware it needs its other half to be complete. Our mate is our other half. The venom recognises the connection; the human side of us is where the love grows. The connection can be ignored, but its suggested it shouldn't be. After all, marking combines the venom from each side of the mated pair. It completes the bond, solidifying and making it permanent.

Marcus's human side is dominant, his venom still curled up in a ball from the loss of their mate. Having known what it is like to be whole; having her ripped away from him makes him more aware of what he has lost. His human side still holds hope… he believes in reincarnation. He said it's only a matter of time until he finds her again.

I have learned so much from everyone here. Every day in Volterra is a new learning opportunity for me to become more comfortable in my skin and grow as a vampire.

I am so proud of myself. The day I could finally lower my shield to Aro was a day filled with celebration. Seeing that joyous look of his and finally knowing his faith in me is complete was beyond wonderful. Yet, he still can't get over how well my venom and I interact with each other. Seeing our rapport inside my head has him amazed. I found it shocking that he can have such a disconnected relationship with his venom. He told me while his venom is a separate voice inside him he pays more attention to it than others might. He spent time explaining that most vampires allow one side or the other to be dominant, and that some try to repress one side over the other. Caius is one of those most in tune with both sides of his personality. That is what gives him such an advantage in fights... at least according to Aro. Aro had considered it his gift, much to Caius's contempt. Caius despises gifts, he is proud to be without one and be respected for his fighting prowess.

Months later, it was Marcus that got nominated to drop the bombshell on me. They thought it was time to pay a visit to the Cullen's to find out the depth of their crimes against the vampire race and place judgement on them. Marcus decreed I should have the final say about the timing of our visit. He had told me frequently that the best way to move forward is to accept it all. He feels that after I see_ them_ I will finally be provided with the opportunity to have some of my questions answered, and finally say goodbye on my own terms to them. He doubted they could or would give me closure I needed, but he told me that seeing them should help finalise the events in my mind, making it easier to accept in the long run.

* * *

><p>AN

Many thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts. Her speedy beta work got this out early. I aim to get a chapter out once a week.

:)-J


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 **

From experience I know that when confronted with certain events the waiting or anticipation of it is far worse than just getting it over with. So, with that in mind, I knew that I wanted to see the Cullens as soon as possible to be able to move on with my life.

When I had told Aro of my decision, the Volturi mobilised at vampire speed. I heard many rumbles about who would get to go on this mission. I must admit that it was touching that so many wanted to go simply on my behalf.

But in the end, Aro had final say about who would be attending. As predicted, all three kings claimed they had to attend. I, of course, had to go, and Jane and Alec would also be going in case the kings thought they needed their abilities. Lastly, Demetri and Felix made the final numbers. Dem—short for Demetri—was coming for his tracking abilities in case the Cullens' tried to give us the slip, and Felix was coming to act as muscle—or intimidation as I originally thought, since he's massive! Besides that, everyone else had to stay at home and defend the castle.

Aro had his scouts in place watching the Cullens. I learned that he had them positioned long before I came to Volterra months ago. As expected, it turned out that Edward—and the other Cullens—were wrong about Aro and his means of utilizing other vampire's abilities. From how Edward made it sound, Aro liked to think of his guards as a "collection" of sorts and use them for his sole benefit. That might be true to a degree, but he is nothing like that in actuality. Aro—no, all of the three kings treat all of their guards with respect, and see them as individuals, not pawns to be used and merely thrown away after they've had their way with them. The kings only choose to present this kind of display so as to enforce a kind of hierarchy to the general vampire public. They want others to know that the Volturi are not people to be taken lightly. But if people took a minute to look beyond that, they'd be able to see just how well the guards are treated by the kings and everyone else. Everyone in Volterra is treated with kindness and respect. For that, I have even more respect for the kings and how much time and effort they put into maintaining the Volturi.

Days later to arrive to our destination, we boarded a private plane—piloted by another vampire—to a tiny airfield in the Rockies in Canada. The Cullen's had recently moved to the West coast, and were living about four hours out of Vancouver.

The kings took no chances on the availability of local transportation. I learned from this voyage that they take their vehicles with them. My presence may have encouraged a few slight changes though. While they still have the bullet proof limo they've opted to replace the second car with bikes. Aro was very impressed with the leather and helmet combo since it blends in so much better with the human population today than a cloak would.

We left the airport with all three kings on the bikes. I took the fourth bike. When we were half an hour of the Cullen's new place everything changed. Aro is a person who's all about staging and theatrics. Aro had everyone stop so that the three kings could get into the back of the limo and don their cloaks. Demetri, Jane and Alec then got to ride the bikes. Jane and Alec rode in front with Dem and I followed from behind. My shield covered us throughout the entire ride to block Alice's abilities from seeing our arrival, and to stop Edward from hearing the others thoughts.

I took great pleasure in appreciating the impression we had created. To the blind eye, it looked like we were security for some V.I.P.s. Aro has given us all strict orders that those of us arriving on the bikes would remain with our visors down to hide our identities. Jane and Alec could lift their visors if they needed to use their power, not that they needed to but Aro preferred the visual aesthetic it created.

I had an impression of déjà-vu as we pulled down a long drive to the highly ostentatious house. The seven Cullen's stood waiting in front as we parked. Jane and Alec dismounted their bikes and moved forward to stand between the Cullen's and the kings. Felix went and stood by them. I smiled at the contrast between his size and bulk as he stood behind the gentlemen sporting their opulent cloaks. Meanwhile, Dem and I went to open the car doors.

We followed the orchestrated plan which Aro had dictated before arriving. I used my peripheral vision to scrutinise the Cullen's. I had gotten the shock of my life when I saw their subtle interactions. When I was a human, I had always seen their touchy ways as a loving relationship status. But after spending time with the Volturi I saw it for what it really is: merely filling the hole.

I discretely asked Marcus, "Mates?"

He whispered back with humour in his voice, "None of them!"

As always Aro is aware of everything around him. His eyes danced with humour as he observed Marcus and me.

Aro then whispered to me. "The show just got more entertaining, did it not, Is?"

The kings schooled their expressions into their formal personas: Aro with his creepy smile, Caius with sinister sneer, and Marcus' blank desolate look. As the kings walked forward, Dem and I flanked them as guards.

Carlisle plastered a smile on his face but nerves were evident to a vampire's eyes. "What an unexpected surprise. Welcome Aro, Caius, and Marcus."

Aro didn't smile as he set the tone for this meeting, "Carlisle, please do not lie. We know our visit is not a surprise to you or your family. Your seer warned you days ago that we would be coming. Unfortunately she can't see past our arrival now can she?"

Carlisle blanched. He tried to keep his features schooled but he was nowhere near the level of the Volturi.

He opened his mouth to speak but Aro cut him off. "We are here on official business. We received information that you have been flouting our laws."

Everyone was aware at the glare Rosalie directed at Edward. Carlisle frowned at her reaction. Edward's head remained bowed the entire time we had been here. His flinch showed us, even if he didn't see the looks he received, that he heard the thoughts that caused it.

From the corner of my eye I saw the extent of his scars. They screamed torture to a vampire's eye but his twisted visage would be evident even to a human. I can't find anything in me to feel sorry for him. I feel nothing for him.

Aro smiled. "So are you going to tell us why you left a human alive with living knowledge of vampires? Carlisle you should know better."

Carlisle stood straight. "Edward had found his mate. But he wanted her to experience a human life, as our presence in her life caused too many unacceptable threats. She is no longer a threat to our laws, as she was killed in a car accident months ago."

Marcus made a show of placing his hand on Aro's. Aro already knew none of the Cullen's have mated yet, but Aro likes it to appear the information is new to him. He lifted an eyebrow. "Marcus informed me that Edward has never been mated."

Edward's voice rang out pitifully, "I loved her. I can't live without her. She was my everything!"

Aro scoffed. "She was a human. We may be able to see potential in a human to be our mate but until they are changed and the connection is made, it is not a mating. A vampire can only mate with another vampire. You didn't love her enough to stay with her, Edward. You didn't love her enough to make her your equal."

He screeched in reply. "I loved her enough to leave her. I loved her enough not to make her live this half-life. I left her to let her live, grow old and have a family!"

Aro laughed a cruel laugh. "And that worked out so well for her. I did my research. I had to ensure we didn't have a large clean up on our hands. She thought of you all as family, but you just deserted her without a word." His amused gaze wandered towards Edward. He smiled when seeing him shudder. "Your parting words ripped her to shreds... _You_ cast her aside like garbage, leaving her in the forest." Edward growled but Carlisle told him to say back with a wave of the hand. Edward snarled even louder but agreed nonetheless.

Aro continued. "In the doctor's memories about her, there are terms like 'hypothermia' from when she was found in the woods after your departure. Apparently, she was catatonic for months afterwards. That is an entirely known reaction to the loss of a vampire's thrall though; it is even more intense for a claimed victual. When Carlisle was with us, he saw what the torture marked "pets" go through, few survive."

Aro seemed to thrive off the anger radiating from Edward. "The human slowly tried to live again months after… though her actions were reckless, almost bordering suicide, you could say. But she was merely acting out in such a manner to get past the influence of the thrall _you_ left behind." His gaze once again fell onto Edward's distorted face.

"I love this part of the story. To attempt to try to continue to eradicate the thrall, your precious human got pressured by her family and friends to date a familiar. I believe you had even founded a treaty with_ their_ kind. However," he smiled sinisterly, "please correct me if I am wrong."

Edward's eyes shot to Aro's. "No, she was mine!" He snarled through his lips.

Aro just smiled. "Yes, Edward, she dated a wolf. Those _dogs_ were preoccupied by the loose ends your coven left after departing. In the end, those mongrels killed both Victoria and Laurent. Yet even the main wolf, the one whom the human dated and took over as Alpha, committed a sinister crime." He paused for a dramatic effect. It seemed to do the trick as all of the Cullens had stopped breathing and were watching Aro with such intensity that he couldn't help but smile smugly.

"The Alpha ordered the others not to tell her about imprinting, which is when the wolves find their mate. You see, Edward, he found his mate but his imprint wanted to use your little human as a housekeeper and nurse for his disabled father. As a wolf he is compelled to keep his imprint happy." A loud snarl erupted in the background making Aro laugh gleefully.

"After your human learned that the mongrel was cheating on her and the others were keeping it from her, she left. Her own father sided against her, believing his friend's son over his own daughter. Her mother, though unreliable, stepped forward when her daughter needed assistance, and let her stay with her, as did her step-father. She was doing reasonably well, considering she had been betrayed by so many… though it caused her to loss her trust in everyone. She kept everyone at an arms length to protect herself. She had never got a chance to heal from all those that had broken her trust.

"It was then that Victoria found Isabella and caused that "accident" in Florida. However, I believe Victoria sought you out first Edward before she caused that little incident on the highway. Even with her vendetta for your family killing her mate, she had grown to respect somewhat Isabella for the trials she endured. As you all know, Victoria took some revenge for Isabella, which ended up costing her own life."

When Aro had ceased talking, the Cullens glanced at each other. There was a very distinct split. Esme turned on Carlisle blaming him for following Edward and Alice and never making a decision for himself. She screamed at him that leaving Bella was bad enough but knowing she would suffer so greatly was despicable. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie turned on Edward and Alice. Jasper and Rosalie argued she should never have been allowed to know in the first place, but that was as far as they agreed. Jasper claimed she should have been changed once they had taken her in. Rosalie said she should have been killed. Emmett just wanted her changed. Jasper was furious Alice had stopped him at every turn from going after Victoria.

Aro stood there chuckling, letting them have a go at each other. Caius rolled his eyes a few times but smirked at the so-called "family" with great joy.

Aro eventually had enough. Putting his fingers in his mouth he let out an ear-splitting whistle. All eyes turned to him. "Enough. I will read you memories before sentencing."

"No!" Alice screamed and turned to run. She didn't even complete the turn before Jane reacted. Her scream of anger turned to one of agony. Jane flicked up her visor as Alice writhed on the ground.

Aro just shook his head. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way. If you are willing to have me read your memories, please move towards Jane."

Jasper scowled but he was the first to move. Esme, Emmett and Rosalie followed him.

Aro nodded to Alec. A mist engulfed the remaining Cullen's. Aro walked over towards them. He read Carlisle first, then Edward, finally Alice. A look of disgust came over his face as he touched her skin. He pulled his hand away as if it had been burnt.

Aro turned to his brothers and they exchanged a similar look. The brothers have known each other for more than a millennia, so they can convey more to each other with one look than the rest of us can in a simple conversation.

When Aro turned back, he ripped Alice's head from her shoulders. He looked at the four that had chosen to move. "I learned many things from her. I would like to confirm what I can from your memories if you will still allow it. Her crimes are unforgivable, her life is forfeit."

Jasper stepped forward first. "I give my permission for you to read my memories. I only ask to know her crimes."

Aro agreed. "I will tell you everything I learned from her, but first I will require confirmation."

Aro read his thoughts then thanked him before moving to the others.

Aro went from the Cullen's to his brothers. I was surprised when he gestured me closer. With my back to the Cullen's, I flicked up the visor to make it easier to hear Aro's soft words. "Carlisle did not take his responsibilities as a Sire. He taught them nothing of what it means to be a vampire. They know the term mates only as a vague concept. They don't know about how our hunting lures have long-term consequences in humans that have been repeatedly exposed to them. Jasper knows more than the others but his information is patchy at best based only on what he learned in the Great Southern Wars, as his Sire kept her creations ignorant. Jasper knows none of them are mated but he learned early not to rock the boat if he wanted to stay with them.

"While Edward did posses strong feelings for Isabella, he was too gullible and arrogant for the relationship to last. He also put too much stock in Alice's visions. His actions, which caused _you_ such intense withdrawals, weren't intentional. He was merely too ignorant to realize the long term consequences they would create. Carlisle nurtured their self-hatred to control them, and Alice used her visions to manipulate them all. She had seen a vision of Jasper's mate. She did everything in her power to ensure that they would never be together. She tried to change the human's life to affect them enough so that when she was changed she would no longer be his mate."

* * *

><p>AN

Many thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts. Her invaluable beta work helps my jumble of words read like a story!

Thank you to those that take the time to review, I really appreciate the comments and feedback.

:)-J


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The Kings eyes turned to me. Aro just nodded. I glanced at Jasper. "How do I find out?" I asked feeling both curious and concerned.

Marcus answered. "Look into each others eyes or allow your skin to touch. You both will feel the connection. I have no doubts, as I will be able to see the connection if it is made."

Caius suggested, "Put your visor down and remove one glove. Brush your hand by him. Let us find out before anything else."

I didn't pause, I followed Caius's instructions. It took me four steps to reach Jasper. He watched me warily as I reached forward to brush his hand with mine.

It wasn't a bolt of lightning or an electric charge that shocked us; it was a feeling of completeness and rightness that flowed right through my veins. There was no mistaking it; when my skin touched his, I felt whole. The previous emptiness I felt mere seconds ago was just a memory now.

I glanced at Marcus. He smiled and nodded.

Caius signalled for me to return to my position. Jasper looked panicked until he caught Caius's gaze. Caius gruff tone rang out, "Your place is with her, Cullen, if you so choose."

Carlisle looked like his head was going to explode, he was beyond furious at Jasper following me.

Aro stood there surveying the entire room with a smug smile adorning his lips. "Now we have corrected what Alice Cullen attempted to prevent. Her death sentence is fire."

"On what grounds?" rebutted Edward.

Aro smirked and answered, "One, for using her gift to keep these mates apart. Two, for relying on her gift to solely benefit herself which resulted in the deaths of several vampires and multiple newborns. There are also several other charges which I will omit for now." Edward looked ready to interrupt once more but before he could Aro continued to speak.

"Jasper and Rosalie are cleared of all charges pressed against them. They both tried to do the right thing but their coven leader denied them the opportunity to do so. Esme and Emmett are also cleared of all charges. However, the four of them are required to remain in Volterra until they have received and understood the education they should have properly received from their sire." Aro looked towards Edward with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. He was pissed.

"Edward, you bought a human into our world. While your sire had kept you ignorant of the many facts of vampire life, you do know that once a human knows of us there are only two options: change or die. For keeping her alive, your sentence is to serve the Volturi for no less than one hundred years. It will be your choice as to how we commence your punishment; it can be done the easy way or the hard way." He shared a knowing glance with Jane, who smiled deviously at the prospect of using her "gift" on Edward. "You will also receive the education you should have been given by your sire." Aro glanced towards Carlisle with pity in his eyes.

"Carlisle, I despair with you. You have spent time in Volterra, and know we treated you as one of our own. We taught you _everything_ we knew about our race, yet you left us and disregarded every lesson, every fact we gave you. The law to change or kill any human that comes into our world was not made primarily to keep the vampires safe; it was made to keep the humans safe. We may use them as a food source, but we do not condone torture." He continued.

"You work in a profession which claims to do no harm to humans, but you allowed a claimed human to undergo through the torture of withdrawal from a long-term thrall. You have witnessed firsthand the longstanding consequences humans experience from the thrall… most of which result in death. You know how they simply stop living. You know that any human with even small amounts of venom in their systems will die of starvation. Their bodies no longer crave nor feel hunger. Even if they are forced to ingest food their systems can no longer process it properly. It can take years for it to occur, but death is inevitable for the human. And to intentionally leave a human to go through that alone, to leave them with knowledge of us while in that state, shows a level of malice I have seen in only a few vampires throughout all of my years." He shook his head regretfully.

"Carlisle, you believe yourself to be superior to the rest of us. The human that Edward mistakenly claimed as his mate, whom you saw as a threat from keeping you from your first companion… you were jealous of her. You wanted Edward for company and changed him for yourself… But he did not react as you had hoped he would when you changed him. You tried to make him jealous by changing Esme but that plan also failed."

The rest of the Cullen's faces showed their shock and horror as the depth of Carlisle's true deceit was revealed.

Aro went on. "It is despicable the way you and Alice have manipulated the rest of your coven with lies. To think you believed Isabella deserved the torture of withdrawal for taking _his_ attention from you. You may have created this coven but you have kept them ignorant of the emptiness they feel from their internal yearning for their true mates. You all may live as "married couples" together, but a vampire will never be fully happy until they meet their true mate. To withhold this knowledge is nearly as bad as Alice intentionally keeping potential mates apart. Your blatant disregard for our laws and for keeping the vampires you sired ignorant of our basic principles are our reasons for sentencing you to fire. Goodbye, Old Friend."

Aro nodded to Alec. Alec cut of Carlisle's senses for one last time. Felix quickly dismantled him and lit the remains.

The rest of the Cullen's stood still like statues making no move to interfere. Esme had her hands over her mouth, reverting to a human show of shock.

Aro stood still with his head bowed as Carlisle burned to a crisp. He then waited for the smoke to dissipate.

Edward stared at the flames with a look of utter horror. "**No!** Its lies! He wouldn't... he never—"

Aro looked directly at Edward. "Carlisle's last thoughts were of his lover, no?"

Edward made an affirmative squeak, shock and disgust written in his face and stance.

Aro nodded. "He lived with us for decades. He maintained his diet but he did indulge his other lusts. Santiago, his first love, was a passionate man. He shared Carlisle's fervour with males and females alike until he met his mate. Carlisle was unhappy as Santiago no longer returned his affections. In an attempt to save himself from insanity from the loss of Santiago, Carlisle sated his lust with males. He _liked _to play favourites but we, the Volturi, try to discourage that in order to reduce problems when true mates are found; such as when Santiago found his mate.

"At the start of Santiago's mating, Carlisle tried to come between the couple but they acted as one to stop him. Carlisle would not accept the finality of an accepted mating. Thus, he left us. He was very bitter over the loss of his favourite lover." Aro then started to laugh. Edward, however, looked utterly horrified.

"Edward," Aro murmured, "you have very small-minded views when it comes to emotional companionship and sexual release. They are views that you will do well to keep to yourself. In Volterra, your bigoted views will not be tolerated. We encourage consensual contact with others as it helps us deal with the fissure that exists in our souls as they wait to find their other half." Aro continued his long-winded speech.

"Carlisle learned to hide his true thoughts from you very quickly when he realised you didn't want a sexual relationship with him. He maintained his hope you would accept him when you took to no other; he thought the emptiness felt by a vampire without a mate would force you to act. Think about how he treated you, Edward. Did he touch you differently than he did the others? Did he console you more than the others? How often did he have you accompany him on hunts? He spent more time with you than he did with Esme… _until_ you met Isabella. Then you spent all your time with her. Did you not notice how Carlisle's behavioural manners changed afterwards?"

Edward went quiet. His stance looked stiffer and he wrung his hands in front of his face as he mumbled, "No, wrong, no, I thought of him as my father, it wasn't like that, no."

Aro turned to Felix, "Get the seer's head. I think she should be aware before we put her to fire."

Aro looked at his audience to ensure he had their attention, "The seer had very few definitive visions. She actively expanded her ability to see decision based visions, the most fallible of gifts. As a result, she misinterpreted many of her visions. Ten years ago she had a definitive vision of Jasper with his mate. Jasper's mate has now found him. All of Alice's ploys were for nothing."

Aro waited for Alice's head to be reattached. "Ah, Alice, you are back with us at last. How wonderful. I was just telling everyone at present how you made the decision to manipulate your visions to stop Jasper from meeting his real mate."

Aro turned back to the other Cullen's. "She caused Jasper to slip in his diet several times before. She did everything she could think of to undermine his confidence and increase his reliance on her. The vision of him with his mate stayed true so she started manipulating the human's life as well. Since his mate was human at the time, he may have been able to feel a level of connection to her but until a human is changed they cannot be a vampire's mate. The venom in two vampires is what recognises each other. As a result, Alice caused much hardship in the human's life. She tried many times to have her killed in accidents but each time she survived… but not without a cost. Many times she even tried more direct methods to kill her, but last minute decisions thwarted her each time. Alice even called her sire and manipulated him into coming to kill her. He came close but again she survived. One of Alice's more insidious plots was to put the girl in the path of a vampire to whom her blood sang. When that backfired she manipulated him to believe she was his mate."

Edward whispered. "But Bella's dead, it can't be true!"

The Cullen's all stared at me with wide eyes waiting for confirmation.

"Is, remove your helmet," Marcus softly asked me. I looked to Caius and Aro, they both nodded.

Jasper released his grip on my hand long enough for me to remove the helmet. As soon as I lowered the helmet I reached back for his hand. He stared at me in wonder.

Edward screamed. "No, she's mine! She wears my mark! Alice was her friend. Alice said—" His eyes widened and flashed to Alice in fear.

Jasper and the Volturi all growled at him.

Aro looked at Alice, "Will you tell them, or shall I?"

Alice's voice had a rough edge as she spat out, "Friends, ha?! Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer as they always say. I despise _her_. I tortured her in front of them. I knew she hated shopping and makeovers. I played the part of friend, I dragged her around shops and I dressed her and made her over for hours to look like she had a chance of standing at Edward's side, but with such a mousey thing to work with there was never any chance of succeeding. I told Carlisle that encouraging Edward with her would open him to the possibilities of a sexual relationship later-on. I told Carlisle that Edward would come to him for advice and that would start the relationship he wanted. Luckily for me, Carlisle believed me. It gave me great pleasure to see the pain we caused _her_ when we left, but then she disappeared from my sight. I celebrated thinking she was finally dead, but when she turned up again in Florida, I saw Victoria's plans in a vision."

Edward interrupted, "I loved Bella, and I never wanted her hurt that's why I left her. Alice, how could you let her suffer like that?! I thought you cared for me?! I would have done anything for you. You saw Victoria doing this to me, yet you let it happen. **Why?!**"

Alice cackled. "Of course, I had fun playing with you, Edward. You think your gift makes you so much better than the others, when in reality it just makes you easier to trick. Its much more fun manipulating vampires; after all, you believed my _every_ word." She laughed loudly. "I wasn't going to act directly against her. In every scenario I ended up adversely affected. I wanted her out of the picture; she was going to steal my bodyguard! Letting that happen to you led to the mousey bitch disappearing. I thought the small amount of venom in her system had killed her. Her future went black and stayed that way. I watched Florida like a hawk, but there were no deaths reported so I thought she was finally dead." She paused to exhale loudly. "But why can't I see her now? What has the bitch done?!" Her eyes went straight for me. We stared at each other without exchanging a single word.

Aro shook his head. "Alice, the venom heals and enhances us as we change to our new life, but as I can see now, all it did was heighten your insanity. Your words are the mere proof I require to make that statement true." He exhaled loudly to express his further discontent. "Unlike you, Isabella is beautiful both inside and out. You are so insecure that you feel the need to hide behind layers of makeup and expensive clothing to make yourself seem beautiful. Your hatred taints everything about you. Isabella and her vampire are one; you can only see human decisions. When the vampire side of the personality takes over it renders your visions void. That was the reason you suppressed Major Whitlock as you did."

Aro turned his glare at Edward. "As for you, Edward, you should learn to be seen but not heard if you wish to survive this day and beyond. As you can see, Alice cares for none but herself. She has lied to you all since your first meeting many years ago. She stayed with her sire for years until she had a vision of Jasper. Her visions probably led her to believe that Jasper was to be more compliant and a powerful protector for herself than her now deceased sire."

He shook his head at them then continued tell the Edward more of how his actions impacted me. "The mark you left on Isabella when you removed the venom tainting your sweet source of blood was a claim mark. In our world that meant that you had claimed her as your food. Thus, you made her more pliant towards you. Each time you "dazzled" her, you dragged her deeper into your thrall. In short, you never really knew Isabella, only the mindless slave that you had created. Luckily, after your departure, the Quileute wolves recognised the claim and removed it for her."

He looked at me and winked. "Show him."

I unzipped the sleeve of my jacket to expose my blemish free arm, "It had to be burnt out. The burn to remove the venom hospitalised me. Afterwards I was finally able to start healing from your departure. The scars from the extensive burns disappeared with the change."

The other Cullen's made a move to come over but Aro stopped them by raising his hand. "A bite like that is neither a mating mark nor does it block a mating from occurring as Alice originally led Edward to believe. Any claim you had on the human burned away with the change. She was left by you all, a defenceless human with a vengeful vampire after her. She awoke to this life alone. She controlled herself and maintained our secrecy. She is an exceptional individual. She found her way to us, the Volturi. With us, she now has friends that will stand by her through thick and thin. You call yourselves family but you have shown to be fickle in your so-called relationships.

Alice cares for no one but herself. In her quest to keep her bodyguard until she found her mate, she caused the deaths of many vampires and humans over the years. She used the Cullen's as personal entertainment to pass the time. Alice called her sire to kill Isabella knowing it would mean his death and by consequence his mate's eventual demise. Victoria reacted as anyone would expect a bereaved mate to behave when losing their loved one. Victoria spent much time planning her revenge. She watched your so-called "family" and she watched Edward leave Isabella in the woods. She did not act at that time since killing her then would have been a mercy killing and not the revenge killing she wanted. She followed you when you left but decided that attacking the family as it stood would cause her death before she would be able to take revenge. So, she returned to watch Isabella, but in the process she saw her pain reflected in Isabella. She waited. When Isabella became closer to the wolves, Victoria started to make a newborn army in Seattle. She dismantled when Isabella moved to prevent its discovery ruining her revenge." Aro paused for a moment to let his words sink in. Then he continued once more.

"She counted herself lucky to catch Edward alone. Victoria had a hankering about honesty; she would like to see the outside reflect the inside. The injuries she left on Edward, the wolf and his imprint were to that end. She caused the car accident that marked the end of Isabella's human life. Victoria decided it was a fitting revenge on Edward by changing Isabella, the one thing he never wanted for her. She knew Bella had grown to hate Edward for his treatment. She thought this was a fitting punishment. Victoria punished Isabella by giving her only the smallest amount of venom, hoping she would awake even more feral than normal and remain that way. Her change took six days as opposed to three. Victoria also left Isabella near her human mother's home, in hope that the bloodlust would cause her to take her closet family as her first meal.

"The greatest irony is Alice's actions to prevent their mating, made Isabella a stronger match for Major Whitlock. The adversity Isabella survived as a mere human shaped and strengthened her beyond comprehension. She had so much hurt and anger in her that when she burned she opened herself to the venom entirely. During the burn, Bella saw the venom as a friend, and so she embraced it. When she awoke to this life, Bella worked with the vampire within. The vampire within helped Bella by reducing the intensity of all our senses until she could come to terms with them. We can _all_ learn something from Isabella about how to make the most of this life."

Aro took one last look at Alice, and with a dismissive flick of his fingers, he instructed Felix with a large smile on his face to "burn her."

* * *

><p>AN

Many thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts for betaing.

:)-J


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 **

Aro turned his back on the burning remains, showing his contempt. "Cullen's, you may bring one small bag if you have any possessions that are dear to you. However, you are to remain close to the house if you desire to retrieve them. You all have five minutes before we depart."

Jasper looked at the house then back at me, seeming unwilling to part to get his things.

"Do you want me to come inside with you?" I asked softly.

The tension in him evaporated, he smiled. "Please."

We ran into the house, I let him lead me into his library. He longingly looked at his shelves full of stocked books but then grabbed a full backpack of stocked novels from the top of one particular wooden bookcase. "I keep this prepared just in case." He told me simply.

I looked around at his books with sadness. "We don't have the room to take more than a small bag with us today, but we can come back and pack up anything you want another time."

He looked skeptical. "The Volturi aren't renowned for their compassion, Isabella."

I smiled. "The bad guys, evil and power mad… vampires fear them. Isn't it easier to get others to comply if they fear the consequences? If they were as evil and crazy as the stories claim would they have come here and let anyone live? Would they have heard both sides and done a huge amount of independent research before making any decisions?"

Worry clouded his face; he looked down at our joined hands. "What about this? About us? Tell me Isabella, is there really an '_us'_?"

I squeezed his hand. "I want us to be together, Jasper. I don't want to let go of what we have now. I would however like to talk and get to know you better. Knowing what I do of the potential of mates, I'm looking forward to our future together. We have eternity to work out the details."

The stress remained in his eyes and slowly spread across his face. "You might not think the same when you know of my past transgressions, Isabella."

He has scars littering his skin. "I assume it has something to do with your scars?" I inquired.

He nodded.

I decided to elaborate. "Jasper, I have spent time with the Volturi, and I have heard most of their histories. And guess what, I don't judge them for it. For instance, Caius's history is especially longer and darker than many can imagine; like you, he has many scars. But he doesn't see them as anything bad. In fact, he sees them as medals of honour for surviving against the odds. I consider him a good friend. He also took over my combat training." I felt a burst of shock and worry, I smiled at his reaction. "Your history is who you _were_, Jasper. I want to know who you are, who you want to be_ now_. I would like to know your history if you would be willing to tell me. Jasper, I want to get to know you. Trust me; I will treat you based on how you treat me."

He relaxed. With a smile plastered to his face we walked out of the house.

As per protocol each guest had a member of the Volturi assigned to them. I looked over to Aro; he nodded to let me know I can escort Jasper.

Demetri was waiting at the drivers' door of the car, "Dem, can he borrow your helmet?"

He nodded. "Sure, you know where it is?"

I got it out of the car and took it to Jasper, "Want to ride with me?"

He snorted as he looked down at our joined hands, "I have felt incomplete for so long, this feeling," he squeezed my hand, "is something I never believed I deserved. If you will allow me to stay close, I will relish every second. So, yes, Isabella, I would love to ride with you."

We stood together next to the bike waiting for the rest of the Cullen's to emerge. A forlorn Edward emerged with a school bag stuffed full. Emmett came out with a tattered shoe box. Rosalie came out with one of those handbags that look bigger than the person carrying it. Esme had a handbag of normal dimensions. As the last person out, she locked the door behind her. The poor woman looked shell-shocked. She walked towards us, stopped and turned back to the house and sighed. Turning back she pulled visibly pulled herself together. Her eyes swept across us, taking each of us in. She jolted still, her eyes locked on Marcus.

Marcus's face held the biggest and widest grin I have ever seen. He walked over to Esme like you would approach a skittish wild animal. His voice sounded reverent. "You have finally returned to me. I have waited so long. I can't tell you how much joy I feel at being near you again, my beloved."

Esme's eyes were wider than tea saucers. "Is this what Aro meant?" She murmured more so to herself than us. "I thought the emptiness I felt was from the loss of my child. Carlisle told me that all vampires feel that way. He claimed it was his proof that we are monsters. Are you sure of this feeling, Marcus? I mean—"

Marcus reached out to hold her hands. "Yes, Esme, I am your mate. This feeling of being whole, at long last, is how we know we have found the one we are meant to spend eternity with. I lost you so many years ago. I have always believed in reincarnation. You have just proved that my thoughts were right."

If a vampire could cry, Marcus would have tears streaming down his face. He wrapped his arms around Esme, pulling her extremely close to him. She gazed up at him in awe. He pulled his eyes from hers reluctantly and turned to face his brothers. "My brothers, she has come back to me. At long last I am whole again."

Caius moved to Aro. The two brothers hugged him as Marcus clung to Esme. The scene was so poignant that I felt compelled to look away to provide them some form of privacy.

The mood within the Volturi ranks was jubilant. We each found a way to congratulate Marcus personally, whether it be a hug, shaking hands or a pat on the back.

Jasper hugged Esme as I hugged Marcus.

Esme looked at Jasper and whispered, "Can you feel it? I'm really not imagining it, am I, Jasper?"

Jasper grasped Esme's hand. "I can feel it too. You are feeling the same for Marcus as I feel for Isabella. It is the same that Peter and Charlotte feel for each other. Esme, it will strengthen as it is accepted. It is a gift; don't let fear hold you back."

The remaining three Cullen's watched on in shock. Their lives and their beliefs and understanding of how everything should be had been tipped on its head.

They were to travel to the plane in the car with Demetri and Felix. Not too surprisingly, Rosalie had the audacity to complain when she was told she had to ride with her bag in her lap. She tried to palm it off onto Emmett but Jane gave her a burst of pain at Aro's nod of acceptance.

Aro strode over to the car to speak to Rosalie, "You were told you may bring a small bag of possessions which you ignored. Small bags we will stow. You have a simple choice, you either hold onto your bag or I will have the entire bag destroyed."

Aro turned. "Felix, Demetri, I want you **both** to watch her. If even the edges of her bag encroach on the space of either of the other two Cullen's you will tell Jane and I. Jane will give her one second of pain for every second the bag escapes its permitted boundary, it will be destroyed."

Jane and Alec rode on the back of Aro's and Caius bikes. Another benefit of bikes is it's much easier for a vampire to react and jump off one if another vampire tries to escape from the car. Esme clung onto Marcus looking beyond dazed. Felix fetched Esme a helmet and took her bag, placing it safely inside the car. Marcus then walked her to his bike. She followed his lead hanging onto him as he set off.

Jasper watched her seemingly impassive. He looked at me. "Her emotions mirror mine. I understand the sentiment better when seeing and feeling it happen to someone else. I've had the advantage of knowing I wasn't with my mate before our meeting today. I have a friend who is mated. I've felt their happiness many times before but I never believed that I would be lucky enough to find my mate. I didn't think I deserved it, but I'm so happy it's you, Isabella."

His eyes sparkled as he tilted his head, "Any chance that I can drive?"

I shook my head. "Not this time. Aro has very strict rules when we are out on a mission. You'll have to be seated behind me this time."

He didn't take offence; instead he climbed on behind me and whispered, "You're going to be a handful, aren't you?"

I laughed at him, "Of course. I don't think I would be your mate if I wasn't."

"Touché," he responded with a smile in his voice.

* * *

><p>Back at the airfield the cars and bikes are quickly loaded.<p>

Aro ascended into the plane. He directed us to our seats. He gave us the gift of as much privacy as possible on the plane, so we could get acquainted. Aro and Caius acted as a barrier in the middle of the plane to ensure the space is maintained between the newly mated couples and the others.

As soon as we sat down Jasper turned to me, "I want to know you. I want to hear from you about your early life, before you met us. First, will you tell me everything that happened after _we_ left?"

I smiled and nodded. "I want the same. Although I never knew you before so I'll just ask for everything from the day you were born!" I laughed at the end.

He brushed a few stands of hair behind my ear that clung to my face. "You don't ask for much, do you? Some of my stories need some space to let off steam both from hearing and telling. Can we start with the easier stuff?"

"Sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure you'll like the detailed version of my experiences when you left." His eyes darkened as I said that. "Hey, we're together now. I like Aro's theory that our experiences make us a better match. I want to embrace the positives and push past the negatives, Jasper. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it. There's no point dwelling on the things we can't change."

The entire journey was taken up with conversation. Planes are too flimsy to allow vampires to do anything active, so within the limitations of our location, we can't stop touching each other. We sat down next to each other but within a few minutes we both realised it wasn't close enough, so I soon enough ended up on his lap. The need to have contact with each other just keeps growing. However, for the sake of prudency and civility, we kept the touches and caresses to an acceptable level.

Jasper started with the generalities of his history by telling me of his horror filled years with his sire, Maria. While telling me his story though, he couldn't get over my lack of repulsion at his scars. I've continuously told him that I've seen many vampires with scars in the Volturi, but Jasper still can't seem to get past it. Honestly speaking, the scars of a person—Jasper especially—don't worry me. I've suffered from many when I was human, and to me they're more of a history map. In some ways I see them as a representation of luck, both bad and good: the bad luck to get hurt and the good luck to survive. I don't judge him for his actions. It's in his past, he chose a different path to follow now. In the past too, his venom had taken charge to keep Jasper alive within the circumstances it found itself during his change.

In exchange, I told him of my experience and my views on venom. His experience has been so different from mine, but he said he's willing to try to talk to the Major, his name for his alter ego. For his own peace of mind he wants to wait to let the Major out in a less volatile environment.

We went on to talk about his life with the Cullen's. The opposite side of the coin is the best way to describe his experience with them in contrast to his earlier life. Jasper's human side reigned when he was with the Cullen's. He told me how they didn't trust him enough to venture off alone without a chaperone. He told me how Carlisle and Alice felt he lacked control. He told me how disgusted he felt by that—their lack of trust—especially considering how when he was human he was elected to lead armies full of men to war. Even as a vampire under Maria's direction he controlled armies' worth of vampires. So the large and sudden shift in power, trust and behaviour had been excessively hard for him to manage... and agree to.

On top of that, the pressure of the venom's natural tendencies he was expected to completely repress. Life with the Cullen's gave him new challenges and his gift made his life very uncomfortable in most of the circumstances they dictated. The never-ending high school forced him to deal with hundreds of teenage emotions too. While human emotions aren't as intense as vampires the sheer numbers in close proximity amplified their emotions to painful levels for him. With the Cullen's the emotion overload he only had to endure for was about six hours a day rather than the twenty-four-seven he had to endure with Maria. He wasn't happy in either environment but he had suffered less pain due to his gift in his time with the Cullen's.

We discussed that neither side of his personality had free reign when _they_ had control of the body. Both of them—him and his Major side—were controlled, manipulated and lied to.

I let him know my thoughts, "I want you to know the happiness I've found by finding a balance within me and having the freedom to choose my own path."

I felt a jab of fear at that. "The Major was raised in violence, I'm not sure he or I can find a supposed middle ground... but I don't want to take away any of your freedom."

I smiled as I told him, "I love the feeling inside me when we're together. I want to embrace the chance we've been given. My choice is to spend as much time with you as you will allow. I would like for you to experience the peace I know within myself, having both sides working together. I will never pressure you, Jasper. I've told you that I want to know you. Your happiness and comfort is of the utmost importance to me.

He hugged me even closer. "I want to embrace the gift we have been given. I want you, Isabella... so much that it hurts. However, I fear the Major's reactions. I want to try but what if—"

I stroked his cheek. "Let's give the Major the benefit of the doubt. The 'what ifs' are a bridge we can cross if they come up."

I explained in great detail how Izzy and Isabella came to recognise each other and how we learned to work together, how we found a middle ground to keep us safe and as happy as vampire without a mate can hope to be. I also told him of my time with the Volturi. He had only heard the negatives about the evil dictators, who would kill you off as soon as you even locked eyes with them. I told him everything I've learned from their teachings and observing their interactions with others over the course of my time with them.

We compared the information we had both been given with our experiences. While my life has been significantly shorter than his, I did come into this life with forewarning. The duration of my burn and the experience of bonding with my venom gave me a profoundly different start. I had no pressure to conform to anyone in this new life but I knew that the secret life of vampires was paramount. All he had learned over the years had been warped and twisted by his coven leaders for their own gain. He had seen things that hadn't added up but in both cases he had been compelled to keep his head down or suffer serious consequences. The Volturi's explanations ring true with both of us.

Soon enough as we continued to talk, Jasper saw my eyes which gave away my diet. He explained to me that when he met Alice he was at a real low point in life. The combination of his gift and his horror over his actions with Maria left him unable to cope with any negative emotions. Alice had given him the hope he needed that a different life was possible; her effervescent emotions helped to eat away at the negativity that clung to him, which was causing him to slowly drown. Animals did manage to sate his emotions for some time but in that environment he lived with—the Cullens—the acceptance of that method of feeding gave him balance. However, as the years passed the gnawing hunger became too much and he would quench the burn. The relief and well-being that came with a proper meal became overshadowed by the pity and disgust thrown at him by his supposed _family_.

When asked to explain my thoughts on diet, it's strange to try to explain how I let both sides of me make the decision. Izzy doesn't really care where she gets her blood, she prefers it to taste good and have it stop the itch in the throat. Bella, however, had given the matter a huge amount of thought. After going over all the good and bad, the one thing that stood out was the increasing number of humans on the planet and the declining number of animals and their habitat. From there it was just shades of grey; it came down to looking after number one: myself. That's largely how my habit of diet had been established.

As Jasper listened to my arguments for different diets, his seeping emotions of relief morphed to joy and contentment. When he realised I would put no pressure on him either way when it came to diet, his relief bathed the entire plane.

The rest of the journey was filled with light conversations. The connection between us grew with every second we spent together. Izzy and I were on the same page about intimacy, every reason to wait had been blown away. The only thing holding me back was location. I wanted him to be ours; I am his for the taking. I wanted him for myself without any distraction or disruption from _anyone._

* * *

><p>At last we arrived to the castle. We were finally home. Luckily, Aro released Marcus and me upon entry. I saw Marcus and Esme blur in the direction of his wing. I smiled at Jasper and led him at the same sort of speed to my room.<p>

Jasper ghosted around my rooms as I locked the door. His eyes met mine, "Are we secure in our privacy?"

I nodded. "No one will enter. None will disturb us."

He stalked closer. "I want to claim you."

I grinned. "We intend on claiming both of you."

A flicker of fear crossed his face then the set of his features changed, his face took a harder, stronger countenance.

Our smile grew wider. "Ah, Major Whitlock, I presume. We are honoured to meet you, our Mate. Do you accept us?"

He tilted his head. "I never believed I would find you. Jasper was right all that time ago when he told you, _'You are worth it'_. We accept you both."

With that he pounced. Izzy decided there was no way he would take the upper hand so I let her control our movements. Clothes were the first casualty of our exuberant foreplay. Fortunately the rooms are big enough that we have room to manoeuvre without destroying too much furniture.

If I thought touching hands had been intense, it was _nothing_ compared to touching in more intimate areas. All too soon we lost ourselves in the magnitude of sensations and emotion. The intensity I can only compare my current sensations to is when I had first awoken as a vampire... a fierce kind of intensity that is beyond utter comprehension.

We don't need to come up for air but we did have to come out of the room for food. The pantry is always well stocked. Preferences are recognised and catered to. I'm sure the humans think it as a prison, hospital or in some cases hotel but they will never get to walk out of here alive. Jasper told me he's happy to eat with me and see how he goes from there.

Jasper's fears over the Major were unfounded. The Major may have stayed in the background with the Cullen's but that was the venom giving Jasper time to heal. The Major was fully aware with Jasper in control as Jasper was with the Major holding the reins. Jasper had no need to talk to the Major, when he opened himself up they realised they are both on the same page.

I love my mate no longer fears his venom. The Major watched, listened and learned even during the time he waited in the background. Jasper allowed himself to be forced into a box in fear that voicing his opinions would allow the Major to escape. The Major recognised this and stayed quiet to allow them both the chance to heal.

Jasper and the Major acted as one when we claimed each other, just as Izzy and I did. Different aspects of the personalities came to the fore but no part was repressed or ignored. Since the mating I've become one. Since becoming a vampire, I've been aware of the two sides of me, Izzy and Isabella. It's a bit like having an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, each whispering different suggestions in my ears. The difference though is that neither Izzy nor Isabella has such flat, one dimensional characters. They've merged and combined to become one voice that reigns free for me to follow.

...

Our time together has just flown by… Without realizing it, the days have turned to weeks and then an either month flew by before we left our bed chamber to feed. From the moment of our exit, Jasper's ability had been thoroughly enjoyed by all. Let's just say that the strength of his projections influenced not only the castle but all of Volterra. Aro had even set up a villa for us, far enough away so that they can get some work done. What luck for us... and them.

* * *

><p>AN

Many thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts for her beta work.

:)-J


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 **

It took Jasper some time to overcome his fear of what the Major is capable of. From the outside, it seemed like his greatest fear was that the Major would take over entirely. To try to reassure him, we talked about his past in great detail. Luckily, through our discussion, Jasper came to realise the reason why the Major always came out victorious was because He listened and acted on Jasper's tactical thoughts. Jasper's sensitivity to emotions provided the Major with far more opportunities to take control; but even He wasn't immune to the emotional intensity bombarding Jasper. Sometime in the past—not too long before Jasper's first encounter with Alice—the Major took the chance to escape then providing Jasper with the chance to finally take control and bring himself back from the brink of madness he was bordering. When Jasper had finally met Alice, she gave him the chance to heal but she built up the fear within Jasper about the Major. Hating and fearing himself is what allowed Alice to control realizing this from our discussion, its given Jasper the chance to become Major Jasper Whitlock in every sense. He and The Major have thus learned to trust each other and work together… just like Izzy and I have learned to become one.

Regardless of my preferences, I told Jasper that I would support him by following his choice of diet. I'll make the best of whatever diet makes him happiest. Over the years we tested each diet and how it suits us as a couple. Jasper even surprised himself when he found out that the hunting techniques he practised on animals - meaning pouncing on his prey and breaking their neck - works well with his gift when feeding on humans. However, animals are more instinctive and aware when a predator is in range. Humans meanwhile tend to be very out of tune with their environment. Having this ability to bypass the fear and terror made the decision for him: his choice of diet was humans. Our eyes are red now with a diet of criminals and bagged blood from the Volturi laboratories.

Post-coital talks have punctuated our _fun_ activities. Our need to stay in contact is our downfall for long conversations. He would start with his hand flat on me but slowly he would move the pad of his finger, just small insignificant movements. That gentle motion lights a fuse in me. The intensity of the subtle touch grows until I wanted more; no, _needed_ more. I'm just as much to blame, since I can't stand not touching him. As soon as my skin comes in contact with his, it makes me feel whole... thus, my fingers don't stay still... and neither do his.

Over a decade elapsed before we even considered leaving our little bubble for anything more than food. Years without sleep, work or any other outside commitment is plenty of time to cover most subjects even with all the distractions. Let me tell you there isn't a single part of his body that doesn't distract me, and, wow, some _a lot_ more than others.

We adore being mated and grew to know each other better with each passing day. Our love has grown so much that the word "love" doesn't seem large enough to encompass the intensity we share for each other. The lust, however, remains as powerful as ever. We are aware our bond will continue to grow and keep on maturing over the coming centuries but the first decade is the most intense—or so we've been told.

Months later, we have slowly integrated ourselves back into the wider community. Though, we spend more time with each other than we do with others. The intensity of our connection is stronger than most, but we can spend time apart without the hole opening too much. We choose to stay together as often as possible but we both feel we need to test our limits so we are aware of them. We both fear for the other while they are out of sight. Marcus told us that we will be able to manage it easier with time.

Marcus smiled when he explained to us about our bond. I had to let my shield down so he could get a full picture as I protect Jasper instinctually with my ability. Marcus had commented that our bond possesses nuances that he had never recognised before. He's never seen individuals with such a "cohesive aura," our joint auras complimenting each other and entwining, with the mating bond cementing it all together.

His relationship with Esme was thriving, but he was soon pressured by Aro into maintaining public appearances; after all, he is one the Volturi leaders. As a result, he and Esme have more experience at tolerating the distance—or separation—than Jasper and I. But even so, Marcus thinks he will always struggle more than most mates since he has experienced the loss of losing a mate once before.

I still feel nothing for the Cullens. Before I despised them—but not Jasper entirely—now, however, I feel nothing for them. If they want to regain any semblance of a relationship with me, they will have to work bloody hard to regain it.

Marcus helped me overcome with my past with the Cullens, but that was one of the first things I had to address with Esme. She had apologised profusely, explaining how she was controlled and manipulated by Carlisle, Edward and Alice; something she had only seen in hindsight. She still feels guilty for her actions and inactions. Aro had even spoken to me and told me how few freedoms she had. Thus, I learned to forgive her… but it took a lot of time and months.

As Jasper and I reintegrated with society, we spent most of our time with Marcus and Esme, since we have more in common as another newly mated couple. The four of us all agreed to treat each other as friends and equals apart from in formal setting when Marcus needs to play his part. Esme's eyes are red now; she looks much healthier than she did in front of the Cullen mansion years before. She is also much happier, and seems years younger than the staid housewife I first met in Forks. As a result, Jasper constantly teases her by telling her the joy and happiness she now emits makes it almost too much for him to be in her company without resulting in him acting like a blessed-out druggie or a frolicking schoolgirl.

The only other Cullen that has embraced his new life is Emmett. He has changed diets from animals to humans, though when rouge bears become a problem his eyes tended to be an orangey-red. He comfortably eats with the rest of the guard but he still holds a grudge against bears. He loves the fun the guards have in their down hours. He's giving Felix a real run for his money in a professional capacity. Both guys work better with the competition the other provides. Seeing them fight as a team makes me very pleased that both of them are on our side.

Esme and Emmett both understand that Jasper is himself now. It did come as a shock to them when we returned. He stands up for himself and is confident to voice an opinion rather than the silent puppet they lived with for so many years. It hurt him when they are shocked at him having an opinion but they're all learning how much they were manipulated and influenced as Cullen's by Carlisle and Alice.

Rosalie was long gone from Volterra when we returned into circulation. Emmett told us she didn't make any friends with her attitude. Her nasty, controlling manners increased knowing they aren't mates. She moaned and groaned around Emmett until he had enough and told her it was over between them. Without Emmett to take the brunt of her temper she turned it on everyone else. Quickly, Aro had enough of her temper. On afternoon when Rosalie was once more acting out, he had given her the choices of either ceasing her behaviour as a spoiled brat, or be put to fire like Alice and Carlisle had ending her life once and for all. Secretly, Aro hoped she would change her attitude as he didn't want to kill another of our kind. Luckily, Rose was willing to try to change—though it took a lot of time for her to consent. As a result, Aro phoned Eleazar asking if he would take Rosalie under his wing. Aro hoped that a change of scenery might make Rosalie's transition easier. However, Eleazar, Carmen and the Denali sisters were under strict instructions that Rosalie is under her last warning... if not, she will be put to flames. Eleazar and the Denali sisters know only too well that they should not cross the Volturi.

Before Rosalie's departure, I had spoken to Aro wondering why the Denali's hadn't educated the Cullen's on their issues, since it had been implied that they are considered cousins. Unsurprisingly, it seemed that Carlisle was to blame again. He had told Eleazar to keep his nose out of his family's business. Eleazar was under the misconception that the Cullen's had known they weren't mates but were happy with their partners. Carlisle had encouraged Tanya to make, what he considered, brash advances on Edward hoping she would push him into his arms. It never worked but Carlisle hoped the emptiness within Edward would one day overwhelm him.

Aro went on to tell me how Rosalie wouldn't have an easy time with the Denali sisters. She had always been so condescending about their lifestyle. Rosalie hadn't broken any laws but Aro fears her self-hatred had pushed her mentally into a very precarious place. If she doesn't grasp onto the olive branch the Denali's have extended, Aro fears she or they will end her existence. Permanently.

Akin to Rosalie, Edward had a rough start in Volterra. His scars weighed heavily on him, both mentally and physically. He had always been repulsed by Jasper's scars. Plus, like his time with the Cullen's, he has given no one in the castle any privacy in their own head, I wasn't available to shield them.

Emmett had given the same advice to anyone that asked how to keep Edward out. "Just think about sex, the more adventurous the better; that way he'll stay out."

As vampires we can have multiple threads of thoughts in our head at the same time. Edward can only read the top level of these thoughts, and not the others. As vampires are also highly intelligent creatures, most of the guard quickly realised this. And, Aro was very amused when he told me that in the upper level they just keep a loop of erotica running in their heads. Edward hates it even more when they thank him for making their down time more interesting. Thinking about sex all day has the side-effect of some very horny vampires when the working day is done.

The reactions to Rosalie after her split with Emmett were the turning point for Edward's behaviour. He still has a lot of growing to do but he's trying to head in the right direction. They tease him no end about still being a virgin but I know they will never pressure him to do more than he is comfortable with.

He still has his tantrums about me though. Joy oh Joy. He's petrified of Jasper, now the Major, is an active part of his personality. Multiple times he has accused Jasper of manipulating me. He's thrown quite a few insults at Jasper too since I refuse to talk to him alone. At one point in my life I would have relented and gone to talk with Edward, if only for a quiet life but that's not going to happen anytime soon. I'm just getting to the point that if he doesn't leave us alone I'll happily rip him to shreds just to shut him up.

Aro has ordered Edward away from us, telling him my intentions in the greatest of detail if he doesn't obey. A couple of the guards have even hinted that if he does get ripped apart they won't help reassemble him. He might also find some ligaments that were "accidentally" used as firewood. Nice work there guys.

Aro is happy to have me back and he is excited to learn more about Jasper, as I've spent so much time talking about him. I talked to Jasper and Aro about my concern that I was ignoring my friends but the intensity of the mating bond overwhelms me. Aro just laughs and tells us to enjoy it and give it a century or so to settle down. Jasper just grins and drags me back to our room.

Caius is a man of few words, but when you get to know him he has a wicked sense of humour. He is a man who loves a challenge. He's positively gleeful at the opportunity to spar with Jasper. When I overcame my fear of my mate getting hurt, I have learned so much just by watching their two are evenly matched but fight in such different manners that its always super interesting to witness.

Marcus is quite different. The sad man I first met when coming here just existed. And now, to see him bouncing around with a smile on his face brings joy to everyone in the castle.

Jane however is another story. She openly confessed to missing me after I found out Jasper was my mate, but from the time I spent away from her, it's allowed for her and Renata to become even closer friends. Now she's happy for me and has a vampire mindset that everything will settle in time.

Jane, being Jane though, had to test Jasper after we first returned to the castle. Since we're mated, I protect him without conscious thought; the Major however detected the emotions of an attack when Jane first tried to strike. He didn't appreciate the gesture so he reciprocated by sending pain back at an even higher intensity to Jane. Jane did not like the gesture and has not attempted to harm Jasper since. She now treats him with the same respect that she does me. Thank goodness.

* * *

><p>AN

Many thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts for betaing my work. It makes such a difference to have an outside set of eyes to see all the things I am too blind to see!

:)-J


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 **

**Edward's POV**

During my time with the Volturi I soon realised that they are nothing like Carlisle described them. It had taken them a few years, however, to make me realise how wrong I was. Right now though, _this_ is the biggest part of my job… or more accurately _my sentence_. In laymen terms, I act as a monitor for the Volturi. From the shadows I supervise humans and specific vampires Aro wants to keep track of. I am also required to strictly work in the shadows as Victoria made sure I now look like the monster I am. It still surprises me that none of the Volturi takes much notice of my scars; some think it gives me some character but the humans are nonetheless repulsed.

I suppose my sentence is also part of my punishment and lesson. Last year I was sent to Florida by Aro. He wants to give Bella the gift of knowledge of her family. Through my surveillance, I saw that annually Renee lights a candle and places it by the front window on Bella's birthday. They also have a new addition to their family: Henry, a healthy little boy. He's now a few years old but Renee is determined to have him know his sister. She brings out all the photo albums and tells him stories about his big sister Bella. When he asks her or Phil where she is Renee tells him that God called her back, back to the Angels; she was needed back to help watch over them. It was heart wrenching to hear. If my frozen heart could beat it would have split in two.

This year Aro sent me to check on Charlie Swan and the werewolves. When I got there, I came to realize something… that so many things are my fault. I made so many mistakes, and not all of them were Carlisle and Alice's fault. I can try to blame them for everything but I need to be honest with myself, I was wrong… gravely wrong. I'm now forced to see the impact my actions had and still have on a lot of innocent people. I have strict orders that the wolves mustn't become aware of my presence. For that reason, when surveying Charlie, I stayed high up in the trees but was still close enough to detect his thoughts. I stayed in that tree for several days merely listening to his passing thoughts. He wasn't doing too well, and with Bella's birthday approaching things just got even worse.

I'm so sorry, Charlie.

I wanted to cry with him. I had no idea what she went through when I deserted her. I was so stupid, so cruel to abandon her… I truly am a monster.

* * *

><p><strong>Charlie Swan's POV<strong>

I lay in bed not able to sleep but not ready to get up. Every year on this particular night I get almost no sleep. Today I feel sluggish. I have no need to rush out of bed so today I take my time, and let my thoughts take over. Sue Clearwater pushed me to take early retirement. She lost one husband whom she loved dearly too early, and she doesn't intend on losing another. She drew the line after I had another near miss at work. I thank my lucky stars she agreed to move in with me and agreed to marry me soon after I lost my Bells. She now makes my life worth living.

I can hear her banging around in the kitchen. It reminds me of Bells. **Bella.** I failed my little girl in so many ways. I tried to do the right thing by staying in a good job to give her financial security but she lost her childhood anyway. All the things I loved about Renee when I was a teenage boy were the things that made her so useless at being a supportive mother. My little girl grew up so fast. Too fast. She had to but I turned a blind eye to her. I was comfortable in my bachelor lifestyle. I used Renee leaving as an excuse to keep that lifestyle in check.

When she was a junior in high school I had finally gotten a chance to spend some time with her but I wasted it. I was always more interested in not missing a sports game or going out fishing with the boys than sitting down and talking with her. She was such a caring little thing, wore her heart on her sleeve. That Cullen bastard broke her, hell, the entire family did. She was looking for a family; I thought at the time they were good for her, so I just stepped back and let things run its course. When I think back on it now, I regret doing that. Maybe if I stepped up more in the beginning things wouldn't have gotten to be as bad afterwards… like when _they_ left.

That was an awful time. I didn't know how to handle her. To be honest, I don't think she knew how to properly handle herself either. Even though she started living again after that awful burn down at the Quileute Reservation, things weren't the same for either of us. Slowly, she seemed to be getting back to her old self, she even invited that sweet Angela Webber over a few times—which made me pretty happy—but it was still rough between us. I remember feeling pretty happy though when seeing her smile and laugh when spending time with Jacob Black. At the chance of hearing her laugh again I stupidly pushed them together. She tried to tell me she wasn't interested in him in that manner but I didn't listen. I thought I was helping her move on instead of getting stuck in a rut like I did. I ignored her pleas, moans and groans and just let my work take over, just as Renee had feared when she left me.

Billy was there for me and I've been there for him over the years. I took his kids out more than he did. I thought Bella would be safe and well looked after with the Blacks. Jacob had his puppy love for Bella for as long as I can remember. I thought if she gave her heart to anyone, it would have been safe with him. I can't forgive them for the way they hurt my Bella though. I trusted Billy; I'll never forgive him or myself for the lies that made me doubt my girl. I've never forgiven Billy for backing up Jacob when Bella left. I suppose I should have known, I shouldn't have been dumb and sided with Billy. I should have believed Bella. Bella, my daughter…

God how I wish I could turn back time.

It wasn't until I heard about Jacob's wedding that I knew how wrong I was. To hear them talking about love at first sight and how many months they had been dating made me sick to my stomach. That was the last time I spoke to Billy; well, I screamed at him in front of all the wedding guests. Every guest there heard exactly how hateful they were to my girl. I can't forgive him even now, even after all they had been through since.

After the wedding, I got to spend that last week with my little girl. I will be forever thankful for that, but I have to live with the knowledge that she was still hurting from _my_ actions. Even though she forgave me, my heart still hurts from knowing the pain I caused her. She did make the best of it, but I'll always know that I never did deserve her. She wanted to move past my idiocy and give me another chance but I was just too stubborn.

Not long after, I got on a plane the second I heard about the accident. I still don't want to believe she's gone. The funeral was so hard. The looks I got from everyone down there… they all knew how much I hurt her. The pain knowing she was gone on top of that broke me.

I'm so grateful she had such a good friend like Angela. She was the only one from Washington that made it to the funeral. She's one of the good ones. She got married a while back and now has kids of her own.

I don't think Bells ever realised how many people liked and respected her in Florida. I hurt me to know she was so broken that she didn't trust anyone enough to let them in to be her friend. I was a big part of doing that to her. Renee let me know in no uncertain terms how much she blamed me. She blamed me for everything but that day the truth hit me hard. The lonely flight home was the longest in my life, full of recriminations.

I only found out about Jacob and his wife Helen when I got back. They had been attacked by a bear the day after I lost Bells. I suppose you can call them lucky to survive but that was only the start for them. See, while trying to fight off the bear, Jacob lost one of his arms, ear and eye. That wife of his was badly mauled too. Like Emily Young, Helen had scars on her face, but much worse. It looked like Helen had tried to rip her face off; nearly every muscle in her face was damaged. She now wore a mask most of the time since the damage was so extreme.

The bear had also managed to cause damage to her spinal cord. She could no longer walk. Sue rarely mentions her, but when she does its nothing good.

Their little girl is the one ray of light to come out of their entire marriage. She was born premature due to the attack but fortunately didn't suffer any ill effects. Jacob insisted on calling her Isabella Sarah Black, after the two women he respected the most in his life. Shame he couldn't show my Bella that respect in her life.

Jacob's sister Rachel came back after the accident. I missed the twins; I treated those kids as my own when Billy and I both had to fend for ourselves. Rachel looked after the baby from birth. That woman the Jacob married, Helen, wanted nothing to do with the baby. Neither Helen nor Jacob could or would cope with a baby with all their injuries but more so their attitudes. They had all the paperwork drawn up to make Rachel her guardian initially, the adoption finalised before Helen died. Rachel and her husband Paul treat that lovely little girl as one of their own.

Jacob and Helen had plenty of offers of help to start with. Sue and the other women did everything they could but there's only so many times you can try to offer help only to have it thrown back in your face. Bitter and spiteful is all Sue would say about those two. The other women aren't as kind with their descriptions. A few have even said they deserve what they got for they way they treated my Bella, but no-one deserves that.

Helen survived for nearly five years after the attack. When she died it came to a relief to many. She was unable to keep food down and lost so much weight she look skeletal. Quite a change to the bonny lass I saw in an ornate wedding dress not long before.

Jacob's health soon deteriorated after the accident. He had recovered as best as possible from the incident but he's never been the same. He and Billy now keep to themselves, isolating themselves from everyone. Most put it down to guilt finally catching up with them. I choose to make no comment on the issue at present.

Down on the Reservation, so many young boys went through the same extreme growth spurt in such short time. It was almost magical, as it seemed like right after Helen's death the growth spurts stopped. Personally, I think they must have had a drug dealer dishing out some strange stuff for a while down there, but since I'm retired there wasn't much I could do to stop it.

The mood in La Push improved at the same time. I still go fishing down there with Tom and Dick. They also noticed the same changes but haven't heard any more than me about any possible reasons for the weird occurrences.

Because of Sue, I get to have grand-kids around the house. They might be hers grand-kids officially but they still call me Grandpa Chuck which makes me laugh. They're Seth's kids. He married a lovely lady named Amy, and they now have three boys. Seth lets me take them fishing. He is a good kid. Leah was angry and bitter for many years but when she met Tony that all changed. They have two girls. One is a tomboy through and through. The other, well, pink and sparkly seem to sum her up pretty well.

Rachel and Paul spend a lot of time at my house too. With Billy so closed off, they don't get to see him much. Plus, Paul hasn't any family worth mentioning. In the meanwhile, they treat Sue and me as family. That means the world to me. I am so thankful to have Iz—Jacob and Helen's daughter—in my life. She is so much like her namesake. It brings a tear to my eye when I see her on the porch with a book in her lap. Rachel and Paul also have two of their own, but they treat Little Iz no different to their own children. Iz is the oldest of all the other kids. She looks after the others. Such a compassionate soul she has...

...

I miss my Bella. I wish these kids were hers. I wish...

I rub my tear swollen eyes. I'll try and hide it from Sue but she knows. It hits me hardest on her birthday every year.

* * *

><p><strong>Edward's POV<strong>

Paul, Seth and Leah all gave me other pieces of the puzzle. Jacob truly loved Bella but when he imprinted he was compelled to keep his imprint Helen happy. Helen was born an only child and her parents spoiled her rotten. Up until meeting Jacob, she had everything handed to her on a silver platter and she expected it to remain that way forever. When learning that Bella was willing to clean the Blacks house and take care of an aging Billy, a jealous Helen was more than willing to let Bella do the menial work. Jacob hated hurting Bella but also wanted to keep her close, the man in him still loved her. Billy just enjoyed having someone to keep him company and provide some assistance. However, Jacob wasn't entirely honest with him. Billy knew that Jacob had imprinted but he thought he was waiting until the vampire situation had been resolved to tell Bella. Billy believed that Jacob was out all hours patrolling when really he was with Helen. When the truth came out Billy was devastated. He took it personally and felt that he had raised Jacob wrong.

The Elders didn't believe Charlie at the wedding but after Victoria's attack the Alpha orders failed Jacob and the truth came out. The Elders learned that Jacob had been abusing the Alpha role for his imprint. They performed a ritual to cause the inner wolf inside of him to forsake him. Billy was then asked to step down from the council for his part in what was happening but not doing anything about it. Afterwards, Jacob was never able to phase again. The imprint broke sometime after the attack but Jacob stood by her to the end. The wolves still aren't sure what caused the Alpha command and the imprint to break. They never knew if it was Jacob's permanent injury, the venom in his imprint or the Spirits putting things to correct order. Without the imprint to colour his vision he saw his time with Helen as a prison sentence. Soon after, Sam took back the Alpha mantle.

Now for the others; first, Old Quil, who removed my claim mark on Bella. I saw in their memories for the first time the extent of the burns and the resulting scars. I hate myself even more for the pain I caused her, but Old Quil was no better. He was only using Bella to obtain more knowledge on vampires for the tribe's sake. He saw Bella as a traitor that got what she deserved. Even after finding out the truth he still blamed her. Paul learned that from his wife Rachel. Rachel came home seething one night and told Paul exactly how she felt when learning of how the Elders obtained further knowledge on the Cold Ones. She was beyond livid.

Paul had a vivid memory of Rachel repeating the lecture she gave the Elders. She had shrieked to them one evening, "How could you?! Bella was like a sister to me but the Tribe deemed her not worth helping. She was drugged, for all intent purposes, into submission by the vampires. She went into severe withdrawals when they left. When the tribe did step in to help her it was only to acquire knowledge for _your _own gain! Because of all of you, she was in a coma for a week with serious burns! She could have died!

"When she finally heals she then learns that a vampire's after her! She did everything she could to make it easier for the wolves but she gets tricked into dating a so called 'Protector'. Meanwhile that said "protector" is looking out for no one but himself and his imprint! The Elders knew what Bella had been through, but you all turned a blind eye to Jacob's actions when he imprinted and allowed him to manipulate the _entire_ pack. These so called 'Protectors' couldn't even take care of one vampire with their strings constantly been pulled with conflicting Alpha orders. Thus, once again, making Bella the victim! Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. She was forced to run away. Does it not tell you anything that the threat of a vengeful vampire after her was less scary than staying here? To deceive her father and pit him against her is something I'm not sure I can ever forgive. The more I find out how you _all_ treated Bella, the more ashamed I am to be part of this tribe."

Rachel learned the full details of her brother's actions from Paul. Paul watched as she tore into Jacob, blaming him for his and Helen's injuries. She told him that if he had done his job instead of getting his end away, the pack would have taken out the leech before she could have permanently damaged him. She informed him on how she thought they had treated Bella worse than the leeches. She blamed Jacob for Bella's death telling him that Bella would have stayed with Charlie if he hadn't chased her away with his cheating and lies. She told him Bella would have understood and supported him if he'd only been honest. She then ripped into Billy telling him all he needed to do was ask, Bella had always been the sort to be there for others. She told her father he is the lowest of the low thereby turning her own father against her. Paul replays those memories much more frequently than any others.

Akin to Charlie, Iz reminds Rachel so much of a young Bella. That's one of her reasons for letting Charlie spend so much time with her. The biggest reason is she always saw Charlie as a second father. She now has more respect for him than she does her own father. Paul had lots of memories of Rachel talking about spending time with Bella in the summers when she visited; they were some of her favourite childhood memories. Rachel remembered every trip fondly. Bella as a child was helpful, kind and patient until she saw something happening to others she believed to be unjust, then she became something akin to fire and brimstone to right the wrong. Meanwhile, I never got to see that side of her since I never let her show it to me.

Soon enough, I found out that the wolves kept phasing—and were phasing from a younger age each time too. No one on the entire Reservation knew what was causing it until Helen died. When the body was examined, it turned out that there was venom in her spinal cord. The venom was what caused her death, not that the wolves realised that. Nonetheless, they had her cremated. And with the source of venom removed from the Reservation, no more children phased. The existing wolves that wanted to stop phasing were also able to stop.

The wolves don't know Helen's death was because of the damage that venom causes in humans. Aro made a point of showing me all his memories of every human that wasted away, slowly starving to death due to venom lining the insides of their bodies. He then strongly emphasized what Bella would have gone through had she not been changed.

The wolf leaving Jacob did weaken him. The loss of his imprint hurt but without his wolf he was able to survive. Billy still lives but the hits to his honour have left him to be nothing more than a bitter old man. Charlie sees more of Billy's grandchildren than Billy does. Rachel took over Billy's place on Council.

When I get back to Volterra Aro will see all my memories. It will be him that shares this with Bella. She still doesn't want to have anything to do with me. It embarrasses me now to think of the tantrums I once threw. Truthfully, Bella was never mine, I know that now. I just hope with enough time that she can forgive me… and maybe one day—possibly—we can become friends.

* * *

><p>AN

To TriforceandSheikahArts, Thank you so much for betaing my work.

:)-J


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 **

**Bella POV**

Aro sat with Jasper and I as he broke the news to me about my family. The stories he told me from last year made me laugh a lot… if only Renee knew how accurate her Angel statement was. It's also nice to know I have a half-brother. I'm beyond positive that he'll be safe and happy with Phil and Renee there to look after him.

Meanwhile, I expected the news of this year to be harder. This time, Aro had opted to send Edward to Forks to learn of Charlie and the pack's standing. As of sometime ago, Edward had backed off from me entirely. He also seemed to accept his new life with the Volturi. Compared to before when he would constantly complain, he's lessened by a lot. Aro tells me he's changing and learning but it is a very slow process.

Aro has also found a useful place for Edward. He's made him into a spy. Sometimes he's just sent to listen to the thoughts of other vampires alone or he goes as part of a team. Edward stays hidden as another member interrogates someone. Edward is the hidden lie detector, picking up their immediate reactions in their thoughts.

Back to the present, Jasper keeps his arms around me as Aro recounts how much Charlie loves and misses me still. I guess Leah, Seth and Paul have all imprinted. I'm happy to know that Charlie has so many people in his life, and gets to experience so much joy… even without me. By now, I've grown to forgive him and even Billy. Rachel was right, I would have been happy for Jacob if he had been honest with me. I would also have helped Billy, with or without Jacob as a boyfriend. I never wanted Jacob as anything other than a brother. I should have been stronger and not allowed myself to succumb to the pressure of trying to date him.

As I listened to the trials Jacob and Helen went through because of Victoria and the others, I still found their actions unforgivable. Part of me doesn't think they deserved the revenge but another part of me wants to high-five Victoria, and thank her for what she had done. Back when I couldn't exact revenge, she, my supposed enemy, had gone out of her way to provide retribution in my place. Never in a million years would I have expected her to do something like that.

I'm also relieved to know that the circumstances caused me to move from Forks when I did. I dread to think of the damage the newborns would have caused if they had been sent to La Push. Something good came out of my grief and Victoria's fear of not getting her revenge.

Plus, as selfish as it sounds, I love the fact that Charlie still misses me and loves me. I always knew that Charlie cared for me; it's nice to hear some of his reasoning behind his past actions. He had the right general intentions at heart even if things never worked out as he hoped. I, too, have regrets over not trying to spend more time with him when I had a chance… I'm happy he's retired and has a family around him now to make happy memories that'll last him a lifetime.

As Aro finished tell me about my Father and events from that part of the world, I snuggled into Jasper's shoulder and breathed in his scent. It calms and centres me better than anything else.

Aro smiles at me, "Ah, young love."

He then sighed. "While you are here I have a proposal for you both. Jasper, you know Maria was killed many years ago for her warring practices. We have reports of a new rash of vampires trying to follow her footsteps in that area in the west. I was hoping the two of you would accompany Caius and some of the guard to root out the problem before it grows further."

Jasper looked at me with question and concern.

I squeezed his hand, "I will follow you anywhere. I will support you in whatever you decide. I think you know more of the terrain and the tactics against that sort of group than anyone. I think going back, doing this will help you and the Major find some closure to that part of your history. I would like to go to support Caius but only if you are happy to do so. My biggest concern though is whether or not you are ready to deal with the emotions in that environment."

He kissed me soundly, "You love me so much more than I deserve."

Looking at Aro, Jasper nodded, agreeing to his demands. "Very well, Aro, we will join Caius. You have seen my memories of how bad things can get. If we can stop others from going through what I went through then I want to help. You have been so supportive of Bella and I, we both want to repay that kindness. If our presence will be beneficial we both want to help."

He looked back at me; I smiled at him and nodded my agreement to Aro.

Aro paused before speaking, "Caius asked for both of you. He is confident of your fighting skills and gifts. The welcome you have both received from here is down to you and how you treat others. You owe us nothing. Your company is payment enough. I do not want either of you to do this out of any sense of debt to us."

Jasper reached out and shook Aro's hand, giving Aro his thoughts, "We want to go."

Aro nodded, "Thank you. I will inform Caius."

Jasper and I spoke in depth about going. He was worried about me going with him to that environment but he agreed with my earlier statement about finally wanting to obtain the closure for that part of his past that he's longed to move beyond from. I let him know that there is no way on this earth that he is going by himself.

* * *

><p>Caius is a taskmaster when it comes to ensuring his team is ready. With Caius not having a gift he is more aware of the tricks and techniques on how to combat those that do posses different abilities. As a result, he has us training hard with and without our gifts and against different combinations of gifts to ensure an overall largely based success.<p>

Jasper's gift and mine interact in a strange way. Even with my shield down, he can't push an emotion on me that I don't want. I can tell the emotion he is projecting but I can choose if it influences me or not. My shield instinctively protects both of us since I felt the connection that first day when meeting him as a vampire. When he is shielded by me, he can read others emotions but they don't affect him. When I force my shield down his gift goes back to normal. Marcus believes it is our Mating Bond that protects us. When I extend my shield, all those in my shield are similarly protected. When I shield others we are all protected but I can allow those with gifts to still use them on those outside the shield.

Jasper got the rest of the guard involved to play newborns so we can learn to deal with a wave of attacks.

Aro received the information he was waiting for and the mission had a 'Go'.

We flew Volterra Air as the fleet of Volturi planes have been dubbed. This plane is unmarked and far less plush than the plane we traveled in when confronting the Cullen's ages ago.

When we were in the air, Caius briefed us on the mission. Currently there are six of the lower guard along with Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri and Emmett, as well as Jasper and I. The scouts have found evidence of three warlord wannabes—their words, not mine. They each have about a dozen newborns but the numbers vary considerably since they don't have much idea on how to contain or control them.

We're landing in Texas near the Mexico border on a private airstrip. Two of the local scouts are meeting us. The rest of the team is remaining in place to ensure we stay abreast of events. They are doing what they can to reduce human involvement. One of the biggest problems is that the "wannabes" are operating on the U.S. border, and getting caught on camera more often than not. As a result, it is getting harder to cover up our presence. Those fiends will pay.

* * *

><p>AN

Thanks to TriforceandSheikahArts for taking the time to beta my words.

**:)-J**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 **

**Bella POV**

The hot and dry air hit me straight in the face as the doors opened, reminding me of Phoenix. The remembrance for Jasper though hit him even harder. His grip on my hand became almost painful. If I were human, his grip would not only have broken my hand but snapped it right off. I tried to console him by keeping close and whispering soft words to him. It didn't help too much, but Jasper did eventually disembark from the plane… after everyone else got off. Emmett was waiting for us just outside the plane, so we followed him out. From the corner of my eye, I saw him watching Jasper. The sight made me smile. Emmett really did care for Jasper.

When we were halfway down the steps, Jasper stopped, shocked, and stared straight ahead at the sight before him. There were two vampires who stood not too far away; one was a woman with short hair and red eyes, while the other was a dark haired man with red eyes.

The man shouted, "Get down here, Major. It's been too many years since you've been home. I've gotta' say that the woman at your side is a pretty huge step up from the last one." I concealed a hiss at the comment.

"Peter, Charlotte. What an unexpected surprise," Jasper started walking over to them with a huge smile adorning his face. We still had our hands entwined so I walked up to them too.

Caius has an uncharacteristic grin on his face, "They agreed to help us with scouting missions about seven years ago. When Demetri and I were ambushed, they were in the area and helped us out. You should have seen Peter's face when he realised who he had helped." His gaze turned to Jasper. "Like your _family _before the interrogation occurred, he had only heard the horror stories about us and assumed the worst… I had fun _educating_ him." Peter looked mildly embarrassed by Caius' words. I couldn't help but smile. "They are good people to have at your side in a fight."

"The best," was Jasper's only response.

Then we were properly welcomed by Charlotte and Peter. Needless to say, there were plenty of hugs and warm wishes. It truly made me realise how much Jasper cares for these two.

As Peter and Jasper were talking further ahead of us, Charlotte came over and shook my hand. "Bella, I'm pleased to meet you." She said in a manner which made me think she is withholding something from me… maybe judgement until she gets to know me better or something.

We soon continued to walk past the plane and towards a couple of beat up transit vans the Volturi, along with Charlotte and Peter, had organized to help us arrive at their base of operations. With the sun shining brightly, the vans would help conceal us better, even though we would be able to make it to the base faster on foot. Jasper and I rode up front with Peter and Charlotte in one of the vans. I almost felt like a spare part as they talked and laughed about people and places I didn't know or had ever heard of, but I snuggled into Jasper's form, revelling in the joy and contentment he exuded.

Jasper had talked to me about his history as we travelled. I half-listened to their conversation but part of my mind went over everything he had told me about them. His highpoints, in that hell he was reborn in, all involved Peter. That fateful night when Charlotte was due to be killed, he wanted to give Peter a chance of happiness, a life outside the one they had because of Maria. It was a close run thing; he selfishly wanted Peter to stay. He wanted to keep close the positive emotions that had lifted him just far enough out of the cesspit of despair that he could believe a better life might exist. When Peter returned for him he was barely hanging on. He had sunk so low that he had almost forgotten there could be anything good or positive out there.

Jasper was a mess in those early years. He felt like the dark emotions had seeped into his very soul. He projected them, unable to hold himself together. Peter and Charlotte knew the emotions only too well. They had each other but they too were still trying to recover from the horrors they had endured because of Maria and the Southern Vampire Wars. The emotions from Jasper reminded them of the dark times, their memories dragging them back and reflecting more dark emotions back at Jasper. Peter and Charlotte tried to hold on, even raise him out of his storm but he hated himself for hurting them. He left them rather than hurt them further. And so, he drifted alone. Without Peter and Charlotte's love and hope to keep him ashore, every meal he had dragged him lower into the depths of the earth.

It was at that point that he met Alice. Her emotions, which were so bright, bubbly and energetic, gave him the footing he needed to slowly bring himself up again. While Alice had never known such dark emotions like Jasper, as she had no memory of her own to reflect back on, he didn't get dragged down into the downward spiral as he did with those that had experienced his former lifestyle, which was a huge positive to him at the time. Jasper knew he and Alice weren't mates but he enjoyed having a companion. He had also been upfront with Alice, and they agreed to remain "together" until either was ready to move on... or find their true mate.

They went to see Peter and Charlotte once in those early years. He wanted to visit again but Alice always had a reason to postpone the visit. She started with the excuse that he hadn't healed enough to deal with their emotions, but as the years went on it was a shopping trip here, a need to be somewhere else there; it had swiftly becoming evident that they had to be anywhere but with Peter and Charlotte in the sweltering state. He had been allowed a few phone conversations with them over the years but never an actual visit. Even speaking to them on the phone brought Alice's wrath down on him, claiming they were a bad influence. Alice also used their choice in diet as a large excuse, claiming that seeing them would make him slip again. Jasper now sees how much she manipulated him into keeping them away.

His new prison had a different view, the illusion of freedom. His new chains were less obvious than the old ones, but even more restricting in their own way. At the time he hadn't minded too much, his self-confidence was at such a low he didn't believe he deserved more.

But now, from his time with the Volturi and myself, he has learned and truly realized the depths of Alice's manipulations. He swiftly grew to hate himself for falling into her trap. Her attempts to have me killed before I was turned, before he could know what we are to each other. He held the fury and angry within, hiding his shame at being too weak and allowing it to happen. When he started to talk to me he was angry at himself initially for not realising her deceit. His fury turned against her but that was fruitless since she was already dead. Jasper struggled to talk to me about it, since he didn't want to 'throw his ex-partner in my face,' or something akin to that. Things turned out better though when I suggested he talk to Marcus. Marcus was wonderful to talk to, and he had helped me resolve my past issues, such as my first feelings for Jasper and the worry I still felt for my human parents and friends. I suggested it, and luckily Jasper agreed. It turns out that Marcus had helped him talk through his feelings and put things in better perspective quite easily. It took a while to get there mind you, but he can and will talk to me now about _that_ and anything else, which is good. It makes me happy. We're mates, after all, we're supposed to be able to discuss things like this with each other.

Peter and Charlotte kept up lively stories about people from their past for the rest of the journey. Jasper nodded and threw in a comment now and then, keeping me tucked firmly into his side, his thumb never stopping with its circles on my skin.

* * *

><p>AN

Thank you, TriforceandSheikahArts. I really appreciate her taking the time to beta my work.

:)-J


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 **

**Bella's POV**

We pulled up to a security gate that soon led us to a huge warehouse. The gate swung open with the press of a little button on the car's interior dashboard. We exited the vehicle and spent the remainder of the evening and new morning going over all of the reports and the latest information obtained from the Volturi scouts and other partners. After some time, Caius was growing antsy. He wanted to do something else, so he decided to have us all train with each other.

I should've known that he was up to something when he suggested a break. Caius truly is a man of action. His eyes were even twinkling with mirth as he laid out the training rules to us.

"One on one, I want to see closely matched sparring. I do not want to see your gifts in use. Is, if you can ensure honesty," Caius turned to the lower guard, "pair up with your closest competitor." He smirked. "Now for the rest of you, pair up accordingly: Felix and Emmett, Charlotte and Jane, Demetri and Alec. I'll take Jasper, so that that leaves… Peter and Isabella," Caius grinned widely, "When you are ready."

Peter stood looking before me, gapping like a fish with his mouth hanging open, yet he somehow managed to splutter, "But Caius, you said you wanted "closely matched" partners."

Caius grinned. "Yes, Peter, I had said that… But you see, Isabella might not find it quite as intensive of a workout as the others, but you will do."

Peter's shocked face turned to embarrassment, frustration then anger. His expression clearly demonstrated his frustration. I inwardly smirked. It would be fun showing him whose boss.

Jasper looked at me and sent me a burst of concern. I winked at him. I spar regularly with Caius and Jasper. I learn more every time. Caius tells me I'm a natural. The self-defence and dance classes I took as a human strengthened my miniscule stature but heightened my strength and coordination. After the change, those already developed areas were enhanced. Not to mention that when I attack, Izzy works in synch with me. We have both worked hard to improve ourselves. Caius once told me that most vampires only fight with one side of their personality, few use both sides; heck even fewer vampires train both sides to improve on an overall scale. He even admitted that while his vampire side is his warrior side it took him _centuries _to learn how to let his past side—his human side—work in unison—no, merely provide _suggestion _for how to improve.

Caius's face became serious. "Peter, you are usually aware of the gossip. Over a decade ago did you not hear the rumours about that vampire on the East coast?"

Peter frowned slightly then his face hardened. "You mean the piece of shit that abused females, both vampire and human?"

Caius nodded. "We had people on the ground looking for him but Demetri was on another mission at the time. By the time they found him he had already been taken care of. His ashes had been buried deep underground."

Peter gave a hard smile. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy… Though why were his ashes buried?"

Caius smiled. "_She, _his killer, did not know better. She buried any kill that she thought needed to disappear."

Peter frowned, "I heard he was a strong fighter. He had attacked lone nomads and couples to get to the women."

Caius nodded. "Yes, the reports showed him to be brutal. The vampire that killed him was alone. She took him out. It was her first vampire fight. She had no training whatsoever. She was two maybe three months old at the time."

Peter laughed, "She was lucky."

Caius laughed and looked at me, "No. She is pretty damn lethal. Why do you think I started to train her?"

Jasper, Jane, Emmett, and Peter reacted at that. Jasper spoke first. "Why didn't you tell me? Did he hurt you? He didn't..."

I wrapped my arms around him. "Jasper, I did tell you. I told you how some vampire had attacked me and I killed him. I had no idea about his history. He attacked me, so I only reacted based on self-defence. I knew his intentions but he never had a chance to do more than grab my arms. I buried him deep since I didn't want to chance humans finding the ashes. I told you that was why I tried to learn more self-defence in New York before heading to Italy to join the Volturi."

Jane came and put a hand on my shoulder when Jasper gave her space, "I knew I chose you as my best friend for a reason." She winked and went to stand back in position.

Peter look between Caius, Jasper and I. "What the hell was she doing travelling alone as a newborn in such a high populated area to start off with?"

Caius looked at me. "Isabella, shall you explain or shall I?"

I sighed. "I'll explain." And so, the training session was delayed as I told them all my story... from human to vampire to now. I tried to keep it brief but for everything I told them, it threw up a dozen questions. Jasper took over telling the Forks part of my story, for which I was thankful. However, I still had to tell them about my adventures in Florida and how I travelled up the coast then onto Volterra.

Peter stared at me when I finished, "I think we need that sparring session, Isabella. **Right now**."

I laughed. "Yup, I could do with a stretch after all that travelling."

* * *

><p>I had fun sparring against Peter. I can tell Jasper trained him but he lacks Jasper's finesse. Sometimes he fights extremely well then he will throw in a bulldozer type move. I evaded his attacks but the change in technique came as a surprise. But when I learned his style it was super easy to find the holes in his attacks. Nonetheless, he's a really good fighter. Jasper and Caius have both improved training together; they are the best amongst us by far.<p>

Caius called time out. "Peter, how was sparring against Isabella?"

Peter shook his head, "I was insulted. I thought you were belittling my fighting abilities before Caius… I should have known you would never joke about that. She is a natural. I have learned more in the last hour than I have in many years. She is truly the Major's match." He then frowned when a sudden thought came to mind. "Caius, what did you mean when you asked her to keep us? Be honest, please."

Caius smiled. "Did I not mention she has possibly the only gift I am envious of? You know my feelings on gifts, correct? Well, she can shield against mental gifts, thus she levels out the playing field we call the battle arena."

Peter tilted his head. "… You like her, don't you?"

Caius laughed. "I do, as does Dora. She is also well-liked in Volterra by nearly the _entire_ Upper and Lower tiers."

Peter threw an appraising glance my way then turned back to Caius, "We'll see... maybe my impression of her _might_ change then."

Caius called an end to the training, and told us to take personal time until sunset.

"Jasper… Bella, follow me." Charlotte said as she led us out of the training area and into a hallway. Down a few flights of stairs and we arrived to the room we would be calling ours during our stay at the base. After we walked inside, she bid Jasper a brief "see you later" and shut the door, keeping her gaze on me for a few seconds longer than necessary. When I was sure she was out of hearing distance, I heaved a sigh and looked towards Jasper, who was watching me wearily.

_I hope she'll warm up to me soon. _I thought, displeased with her keeping a highly professional manner around me. _She's such a close friend of Jasper's; I hope overtime she'll grow to like me… Maybe we could even become friends… that is, _if _she lets me. _But before my thoughts could overcloud my vision, Jasper enclosed the distance between us and pulled me down with him onto the large king sized bed.

* * *

><p>AN

Many Thanks to SheikahLover for betaing my work. I really appreciate all your help!

:)-J


End file.
